Uhuru among leaders appointed to lead DR Congo peace talks

Former President Uhuru Kenyatta/FILE

The East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have appointed former leaders—Uhuru Kenyatta(Kenya), Olusegun Obasanjo (Nigeria), and Ethiopia’s Hailemariam Desalegn—as joint facilitators of peace efforts in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

This move now merges the Nairobi and Luanda peace processes under a coordinated framework.

The EAC-led Nairobi Process is a regional peace initiative aimed at resolving the conflict in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that was launched in April 2022.

The process sought to engage all stakeholders, including the DRC government, armed groups, civil society organizations, and the international community in finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict through dialogue and negotiation, with a focus on regional leadership from the East African Community (EAC).

The decision was made during a Joint Summit of Heads of State and Government, co-chaired by Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who also chairs SADC, and President William Ruto, the EAC chairperson.

The summit took place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on February 8, 2025.

Following this initiative, EAC Chiefs of Defense Forces (CDFs) convened in Nairobi on February 21, 2025, to assess the security situation and explore possible interventions.

Simultaneously, SADC Chiefs of Defence Forces held their own discussions in Dar es Salaam. These meetings aligned with directives from the Joint Summit, reinforcing regional peace and security efforts.

The peace initiative outlines key measures, including an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, humanitarian aid delivery, reopening of critical supply routes, a security strategy for Goma and its surrounding areas, and the reopening of Goma Airport.

Defence experts from both regional blocs have been actively reviewing these directives to ensure smooth implementation. Further consultations are planned, with an EAC-SADC joint Chiefs of Defense Forces meeting scheduled for February 24, 2025, in Dar es Salaam.

This will be followed by a Joint Ministerial Meeting on February 28, 2025, where additional details regarding ceasefire execution will be discussed.

The regional leadership has called on all parties involved in the conflict, including the M23 rebel group and other armed factions, to honor the ceasefire and cease hostilities.

The Joint Summit reaffirmed its commitment to lasting peace in the region, emphasizing the need for cooperation among stakeholders.

With the appointment of these three African leaders, the EAC-SADC peace process aims to bring a unified and strategic approach to resolving instability in the Eastern DRC.

Both organisations remain dedicated to restoring peace and security through diplomatic efforts and coordinated military action.