France’s Macron Rallies Regional Countries In Joint Military Action Against Rebels In DRC

French President Emmanuel Macron has committed his country’s support to combat armed groups in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

“France is fully engaged at the side of DRC to fight armed groups which are destabilising the country,” the AFP quoted Macron as speaking at the joint press conference with DRC President Felix Tshisekedi in Paris on Tuesday.

Macron sad some of the armed movement were linked to the Islamic State group.

He further said French help would take on a “military dimension” and involve “intelligence” but did not give details.

The development comes at a time Congolese troops are continuing military operations against ADF rebels in North Kivu near the Ugandan border.

While the Congolese army has previously conducted such operations, the ADF rebels have always recruited new combatants and regrouped in their areas of operation.

But there appears determination on the part of Tshisekedi to wipe out all the groups wreaking havoc in Eastern Congo.

Before traveling to Paris, Tshisekedi met with Ugandan leader, Yoweri Museveni where both leaders agreed to work together to defeat the militants in DRC.

French company Total E & P has invested millions of dollars in the oil and gas exploration in Uganda’s Albertine region near the DRC border.

Uganda has proven crude oil reserves of 6.5 billion barrels, about 2.2 billion of which is recoverable.

France also has been supporting the training and equipping of the UPDF Mountain Division which was this week passed out to secure the mountainous Ruwenzori areas.

Macron called on regional countries to “engage themselves with President Tshisekedi in this very important fight”.

Tshisekedi responded that he wanted to see “France being much more present in Africa.

“When a friend is in difficulty, one helps,” he added.

Plans to have militaries from Uganda and Rwanda to battle rebels in Eastern DRC are yet to bear fruit.

Uganda remains suspicious of Rwanda’s intentions considering the two countries’ sour relations.

Rwanda has since deployed a division of soldiers including Special Forces in DRC.

ChimpReports understands Uganda expressed fears after Rwanda showed interest in deploying troops in North Kivu near the Uganda border.

Rwandan officials say they are “only interested in hunting down Rwandan rebels scattered all over Eastern DRC.”

The Democratic Republic of Congo has been wracked by conflict near its eastern border, after numerous militias evolved from the two Congo wars (1996-1997 and 1998-2003).

An Islamist-rooted Ugandan armed group, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), has targeted the region of Beni, killing hundreds of civilians over the last five years.

The Islamic State has claimed some of the attacks but there is no clear proof of any link between the two groups.