Leaders of the East African Community (EAC) have resolved to extend the mandate of their regional force that was deployed to restore security in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) by additional three months.

The decision was announced in a communique released following the 22nd Extra-Ordinary Summit of the East African Community Heads of State held Tuesday evening in the Kenyan capital Nairobi.

The communique said that the leaders had collectively agreed to extend the mandate of the regional force in the DRC, which will expire on September 8, by additional three months to Dec. 8.

The summit was attended by leaders from Kenya, Burundi, Tanzania, Rwanda, and South Sudan and representatives from the DRC and Uganda.

The leaders first approved deploying a new regional force in June 2022, and the first troops arrived in November 2022. The eastern part of DRC has been plagued by violence from dozens of armed groups and rebellions for almost 30 years.

The communique also expressed gratitude for the African Union Commission's generous financial contribution of 2 million U.S. dollars towards the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF), acknowledging their commitment to regional peace and stability.