Regional blocs in eastern and southern Africa have appointed former leaders from Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria to oversee peace efforts in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as fighting escalates in the country’s volatile east.
The East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) have intensified diplomatic efforts in recent weeks to address the growing crisis, where the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group has seized vast territories, displacing thousands and worsening humanitarian conditions.
During a February 8 summit, the two blocs agreed to merge two previously separate peace initiatives, one led from Luanda and the other from Nairobi, into a unified strategy.
On Monday, the EAC and SADC jointly announced the appointment of former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, and former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo as facilitators of the new peace process.
The regional blocs emphasized that their primary objectives include:
An immediate and unconditional ceasefire
Securing humanitarian aid for affected populations
Strengthening security at Goma’s airport, a key strategic location now under threat.
A ministerial meeting is scheduled for Friday to work out the specific terms of the ceasefire agreement. However, despite previous calls for a ceasefire during the February 8 summit, hostilities have continued unabated.
The appointment of high-profile African statesmen underscores the urgency of diplomatic intervention as the conflict in eastern DRC threatens regional stability.
