DRC banks on bilateral army deals to secure defences in eastern flank

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Kenyan soldiers are seen at Goma Airport in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo on November 12, 2022. PHOTO | ANADOLU AGENCY via AFP

The Democratic Republic of Congo is banking on bilateral defence and security cooperation with neighbours as it seeks to stem a decades-long rebellion in the eastern parts of its territory.

Experts say the new strategy is meant to dodge the bureaucracy that comes with the foreign military missions in the Congo and ensure coordination, but it is also a reflection that the missions themselves have come unstuck.