In a bid to address the worsening security crisis in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have appointed a high-profile panel of five former presidents to spearhead peace efforts in the region.  

The decision was reached during a virtual Joint Summit of EAC-SADC Heads of State and Government held on March 24, 2025, co-chaired by Kenya’s President and current EAC Chair William Ruto and Zimbabwe’s President and SADC president Emmerson Mnangagwa. 

The summit brought together 14 heads of state and government to discuss the deteriorating security situation in the region.

“The Joint Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) (hereinafter called Joint Summit) held a virtual Meeting on 24th March 2025 in a warm and cordial atmosphere to deliberate on the report of the joint EAC -SADC Ministers on the security situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC),” the communiqué reads in part

The newly appointed facilitators include former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, 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.  

“The Joint Summit taking into account gender, regional and language inclusivity, appointed the following eminent persons to the Panel of Facilitators,” the communiqué reads.

The leaders emphasized that the newly appointed panel of facilitators would play a crucial role in mediating between warring factions and ensuring the implementation of peace agreements.  

Roadmap for peace

The summit, attended by several heads of state and high-ranking officials further underscored the urgent need for a coordinated response to the escalating conflict in the eastern DRC.  

In its resolutions, the summit adopted a comprehensive roadmap formulated during the Joint Meeting of EAC-SADC Ministers and Chiefs of Defence in Harare, Zimbabwe, on March 17, 2025. 

The roadmap outlines immediate, medium, and long-term measures aimed at securing peace and stability in the war-torn region.  

“The Joint Summit directed the commencement of the implementation of the report and the roadmap,” read part of the official communiqué.  

The summit additionally recalled previous resolutions, including those from the February 8, 2025, EAC-SADC meeting in Dar es Salaam, the February 14 African Union Peace and Security Council summit, and the UN Security Council Resolution 2773 on February 21.  

“The Joint Summit recalled the decisions of the 1st Joint EAC-SADC Summit held on 08th February 2025 in Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania on the situation in eastern DRC the resolutions of the 1261st Summit Level Meeting of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union held on 14th February 2025 and the United Nations (UN) Security Council Resolution 2773 held on 21st February 2025, all of which laid emphasis on the need for concerted efforts towards addressing the deteriorating security situation in Eastern DRC,” the communiqué adds.

Joint efforts

To ensure rapid implementation of the summit’s resolutions, the newly appointed facilitators will work closely with both EAC and SADC, as well as the African Union and the United Nations Security Council.

Additionally, the summit directed the EAC and SADC Secretariats to formally notify the appointed facilitators of their roles and schedule a briefing session within the next seven days.

“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,” the communiqué reads.

The summit further tasked the EAC-SADC secretariat with setting up a monitoring mechanism to ensure strict adherence to the directives issued during the meeting.  

“The EAC and SADC Secretariats to notify the Facilitators of the Joint Summit’s unanimous appointment and convey the outcomes of this Joint Summit to the African Union (AU) and the UN Security Council,” it added. By Cy Muganda, People Daily