The Joint Summit of the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has appointed former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and Nigeria’s ex-leader Olusegun Obasanjo to resolve the escalating crisis in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The summit, co-chaired by President William Ruto, head of the EAC, and Zimbabwe’s Emmerson Mnangagwa, appointed a high-profile Panel of Facilitators, including Obasanjo, Kenyatta, and former South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, to spearhead mediation efforts.
The panel also comprises former Central African Republic leader Catherine Samba-Panza and Ethiopia’s ex-president Sahle-Work Zewde, reflecting a commitment to gender and regional inclusivity.
The meeting also directed Ruto and Mnangagwa to convene a critical briefing in seven days with the facilitators. “The Joint Summit directed the Co-chairs to convene a briefing session with the Panel of Facilitators within the next seven days; the briefing should be done jointly by SADC, EAC, and the AU,” reads part of the communiqué issued after the meeting.
The directive came during a virtual summit on Monday, March 24, where regional leaders stressed the urgency of implementing a roadmap for sustainable peace in the conflict-ridden region.
The Eastern DRC has been plagued by decades of violence involving armed groups, with recent clashes exacerbating humanitarian crises and displacing thousands. The summit reviewed reports from joint ministry and defence meetings, endorsing immediate and long-term measures to stabilise the region.
These efforts build on earlier resolutions by the African Union and the United Nations Security Council, which called for coordinated action to address the deteriorating security situation.
The leaders directed the EAC and SADC secretariats to formally notify the newly appointed facilitators and communicate the summit’s outcomes to the AU and UN. A follow-up briefing involving SADC, EAC, and AU representatives is scheduled for next week.
Attendees included Presidents Félix Tshisekedi of the DRC, Paul Kagame of Rwanda, and Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, among others, signalling broad regional consensus after the DRC showed interest in leaning towards the SADC-led peace talks in the Luanda Process. This marks the second joint EAC-SADC summit since February, when leaders met in Dar es Salaam to address the DRC crisis.
The earlier meeting laid the groundwork for the current roadmap, which includes military, political, and diplomatic measures. The UN Security Council further amplified pressure with Resolution 2773 in February, demanding an end to hostilities and foreign armed group involvement.
The DRC’s eastern provinces remain hotspots for conflicts involving local militias, cross-border tensions, and resource disputes. The resurgence of the M23 rebel group and allegations of external support have complicated peace efforts, prompting regional bodies to seek durable solutions.
According to Prime Minister Judith Suminwa, more than 7,000 people have been killed, with approximately 3,000 deaths occurring in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province. Among these, over 2,500 bodies were buried without identification, and another 1,500 remain in morgues.
The violence has also led to massive displacement. Since 1 January, over 100,000 individuals have fled their homes in Masisi territory due to clashes between the M23 rebel group and the Congolese army. More than 2.8 million people are displaced in North Kivu, representing over a third of the province's population.
