Regional blocs from Eastern and Southern Africa have appointed former leaders from Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria to oversee the peace process in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where violence has escalated in the eastern part of the country.
In recent weeks, the East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) have collaborated to address the intensifying conflict in the DRC, where the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group has taken control of significant territories, leading to a worsening humanitarian crisis.
During a summit on February 8, the two blocs agreed to merge two separate peace initiatives — one based in Luanda and the other in Nairobi — which were active before the recent surge in violence.
On Monday night, they issued a joint statement announcing the appointment of former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, and former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo as “facilitators” for the new peace process.
The statement outlined key objectives, including an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire,” the delivery of humanitarian aid, and securing the airport in Goma, one of the key cities currently controlled by M23.
It also mentioned that EAC and SADC would hold a ministerial meeting on Friday to finalize the details of the ceasefire. Despite the call for a ceasefire in the February 8 summit, previous attempts have failed to take effect.
