Authorities in the DRC and other diplomats Thursday confirmed the authenticity of a letter written by Maj. Gen. Jeff Nyagah of the EACRF where he alleged that foreign military contractors were sent to survey his home in January and placed monitoring devices that forced him to relocate.
Nyagah’s letter also stated that he was the target of orchestrated "negative media campaigns" that accused the EACRF of being soft on M23 rebels that have wreaked havoc in eastern DRC.
The Kenyan commander also said authorities in the DRC frustrated his mission by pushing for the rotation of his post every three months.
"My security as the Force Commander is not guaranteed," wrote Nyagah. "The ongoing frustration has rendered my mission untenable," he added.
Authorities in DRC and the army could not be reached for comment however DRC Communications Minister Patrick Muyaya is on record previously acknowledging the presence of foreign military contractors referring to them as "instructors."
A spokesperson of the East African Community’s military force did not comment on Nyagah’s allegations, but Kenya's Defense Ministry Friday said the former commander had been appointed to a domestic command role.
East African leaders whose combined forces formulate the EACRF are at logger heads over the mandate of the regional military body which has faced criticism from the DRC.
DRC President Felix Tshisekedi’s administration said the EACRF has failed to rein in the M23 rebels and that its mandate is under review.
Tshisekedi is demanding a more aggressive stance than the peacekeeping mandate proposed by others.
The seven countries of the East African Community (EAC) set up the EACRF military force last April to try to end bloodshed linked to decades of militant activity in eastern DRC.
