What can East Africa’s trading bloc do about violence in the DRC?

Security in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the newest member of the East African Community (EAC), has been deteriorating over the past three months due to rebel activities and reprisals against civilian populations.

On March 28, just a day before the DRC officially joined the EAC, fighters from the M23 rebel group attacked military positions near the country’s border with Uganda and Rwanda. And the following day, eight peacekeepers died when a United Nations helicopter crashed in eastern DRC. The situation in the DRC is recurrent in different parts of the country, with conflict being caused by armed groups interested in minerals, as well as ethnic, cultural, religious, and political rivalries.

With the DRC joining Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda in the EAC this week, it is unclear what impact membership of the trading bloc can have on chronic violence. It is an economic grouping, after all, and the main expected benefit of the DRC joining is increased trade. But the organization also aims to achieve security and stability in the region.

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