A soldier from Kenya who was part of a group of soldiers in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo was killed when rebels unexpectedly attacked them.
The spokesperson of DR Congo, Patrick Muyaya, informed the BBC that a soldier died on Tuesday in a fight between the regional forces and M23 rebels in the Kibumba area.
The Kenyan authorities did not comment right away.
This is the first time a Kenyan soldier has died since they joined the military group last year.
The army in the Democratic Republic of Congo expressed their disapproval of the killing and said that the M23 group is responsible for it.
It was reported that the rebels shot a mortar at the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF) positions.
The military in the Democratic Republic of Congo said that the attack had the intention of causing confusion between them and the EACRF.
The M23 rebels did not respond right away to the accusation, but they said in a statement that the government forces have broken the ceasefire.
DR Congo’s government has been very unhappy with the local military for not being able to prevent the violence.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has announced that it will not extend the EACRF agreement, which is set to expire in December.
Kenya has sent over 1,000 soldiers to the mission, along with troops from Uganda, South Sudan, and Burundi.
More information provided by Ian Wafula in Nairobi and Emery Makumeno in Kinshasa.
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One of Kenya’s soldiers killed in DR Congo mortar strike
