File image of Uhuru Kenyatta
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community (EAC) has appointed former president Uhuru Kenyatta as a co-facilitator of the merged Nairobi-Luanda peace process on the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The appointment was announced on Monday following a Joint Summit of EAC and SADC Heads of State, co-chaired by Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa and President William Ruto.
Uhuru will serve in the position alongside Nigeria’s former president Olusegun Obasanjo and Ethiopia’s former Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn.
“His Excellency Dr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, President of the Republic of Zimbabwe and Chairperson of SADC, and His Excellency, Dr. William Samoei Ruto, CGH, President of the Republic of Kenya and Chairperson of the EAC have continued engaging on the progress in the restoration of peace and security and in consultation with SADC and EAC Heads of State and Government have agreed on the appointment of H.E Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta former President of the Republic of Kenya; H.E Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; and H.E Hailemariam Desalegn Boshe, the former Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia as Facilitators of the EAC–SADC peace process (the merged Luanda and Nairobi processes) in Eastern DRC,” the joint summit said in a statement.
At the same time, the joint forum announced that EAC and SADC Chiefs of Defense Forces will meet in Dar es Salaam to dicuss on restoring peace in DRC.
This meeting will precede a joint ministerial meeting scheduled for 28 February 2025, which will consider further action on the ceasefire and security measures.
The Summit also called on all actors, including the M23 rebel group, to cease hostilities immediately and to abide by the ceasefire directive.
“Considering the above developments, all actors are urged to observe the ceasefire announced by the EAC-SADC Summit, and the M23 and all other actors are called upon to cease any further advancements in Eastern DRC and to observe and abide by an immediate ceasefire,” the statement further read.
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