President William Ruto and his predecessor, Uhuru Kenyatta, convened at State House, Nairobi, on August 1, 2025, for a joint meeting of the East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) Co-Chairs with the Panel of Facilitators for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Peace Process. The convergence demonstrates a concerted push for African-led solutions to the protracted instability in the eastern DRC.
The high-level gathering, co-chaired by President Ruto in his capacity as the current EAC Chairperson, and President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe, who chairs SADC, aimed to harmonize peace efforts and bring stability to the volatile region. President Mnangagwa arrived in Kenya on Thursday, July 31, 2025, highlighting the urgency and importance of the summit.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Nairobi meeting was designed to align initiatives led by both the EAC and SADC, reinforcing regional coordination in the DRC. “The Nairobi meeting brings together regional leadership with a focus on the ongoing peace process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and will also serve as a briefing session with the Panel of Facilitators steering the mediation efforts,” stated a Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson. The spokesperson further emphasized, “The Joint EAC-SADC engagement is a strong demonstration of Africa’s commitment to Africa-led solutions for regional and continental peace and stability”.
East and Southern Africa Join Forces for DRC Stability
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta participated in the deliberations in his official capacity as a facilitator of the EAC-led Nairobi Process on the Peace and Security Situation in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. He is one of five eminent facilitators appointed by a joint EAC and SADC summit in February 2025 to mediate peace between the DRC government and M23 rebels. The other distinguished facilitators include former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, former South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, former Central African Republic President Catherine Samba-Panza, and former Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde.
This regional initiative complements ongoing mediation efforts by international partners, including the United States and Qatar. The DRC has historically accused Rwanda of supporting rebel groups and facilitating mineral smuggling from its territory, a point of contention that these peace talks aim to address.
The presence of key regional leaders and seasoned facilitators signals a robust commitment to achieving lasting peace in the DRC through collaborative African leadership.
