East African leaders want “urgent” regional force in Congo

By RODNEY MUHUMUZA
Associated Press

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — East African leaders say they will proceed with an urgent plan to deploy a regional force in Congo, where some areas in the country’s east have long been wracked by sporadic violence. The decision was announced by Kenyan authorities in a statement following a meeting Thursday of regional leaders under the East African Community bloc. That meeting in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, resolved to “accelerate the establishment of a regional force to help contain and, where necessary, fight the negative forces.” It remains unclear how such a force would be staffed, and there were no details on when it would be ready to deploy.