President William Ruto on Wednesday, November 2 prayed for Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) troops heading to the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for a United Nations peace-keeping mission.
Ruto, who flagged off the troops, said in his prayer that the officers are going to protect women and children and they deserve protection from God.
"Before you are men and women from the Kenya Defence Forces. They are on a mission to protect humanity, to protect mothers and children and our brothers and sisters in DRC.
"We pray for them as they go to execute this mandate, we pray that you go before them. Protect these men and women, give wisdom to their commanders, give them favour even as they work with other forces," Ruto said in his prayer.
Kenyan troops are part of the United Nations Organization Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).
The MONUSCO soldiers are assisting the DRC in its efforts to fight M23 rebels who have occupied almost the entire part of the mineral-rich North Kivu province.
DRC expells Rwandan Ambassador
On October 30, DRC’s government ordered Rwandan Ambassador Vincent Karega to leave the country within 48 hours after accusing Kigali of supporting M23 rebels, who have seized two towns in the DRC’s east, raising tensions between the two countries.
Saturday’s announcement by government spokesman Patrick Muyaya came after a meeting of the defence council, presided over by President Felix Tshisekedi, in the wake of rebels seizing control of Kiwanja and Rutshuru in the province of North Kivu.
DR Congo has repeatedly accused Rwanda of backing the rebels, an allegation Rwanda has repeatedly denied. The decision to expel Karega is expected to further ratchet up tensions between the two countries whose relations have been fraught for decades.
Muyaya said that in recent days “a massive arrival of elements of the Rwandan element to support the M23 terrorists” against DR Congo’s troops had been observed.
Rwanda on Sunday “noted with regret” the decision by DR Congo to expel its ambassador.
“It is regrettable the Government of the DRC continues to scapegoat Rwanda to cover up and distract from their own governance and security failures,” Kigali said in a statement, adding that Rwandan forces at its border with DRC were on high alert.
