Ruto and Mnangagwa Co-Chair Virtual EAC-SADC Summit on Eastern DRC Conflict
NAIROBI, Kenya, March 25 – President William Ruto co-chaired a virtual Joint Summit of the East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) Heads of State and Government on Monday evening, focusing on addressing the ongoing conflict in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The summit, which was co-chaired by Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa, followed up on the joint meeting held on February 8, 2025, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
The leaders agreed to expedite the peace process by appointing five former presidents to an expanded panel of facilitators: Olusegun Obasanjo (Nigeria), Uhuru Kenyatta (Kenya), Kgalema Motlanthe (South Africa), Catherine Samba Panza (Central African Republic), and Sahle-Work Zewde (Ethiopia). This selection ensures inclusivity across gender, regions, and languages.
The summit also adopted the recommendations from the EAC-SADC ministerial meeting on March 17 in Harare, Zimbabwe, including reports from the Chiefs of Defence and a roadmap outlining short-, medium-, and long-term measures for sustainable peace and security in Eastern DRC.
The leaders directed the immediate implementation of these measures and called for a briefing session with the panel of facilitators to be held within seven days, involving SADC, EAC, and the African Union.
President Ruto emphasized the region’s commitment to tackling the escalating conflict, which has caused significant loss of life, displacement, and a worsening humanitarian crisis. He warned that the instability poses a threat not only to the DRC but to the entire region.
Ruto also praised Presidents Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Félix Tshisekedi of the DRC for their recent face-to-face meeting, describing it as an important step toward resolving the crisis. “This is a clear demonstration of their commitment to ending the conflict in Eastern DRC,” Ruto said.
The summit was attended by Presidents Lazarus Chakwera (Malawi), Samia Suluhu Hassan (Tanzania), Cyril Ramaphosa (South Africa), Andry Rajoelina (Madagascar), Hakainde Hichilema (Zambia), Tshisekedi (DRC), Kagame (Rwanda), Évariste Ndayishimiye (Burundi), and Yoweri Museveni (Uganda).
Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, Angola’s Minister of External Relations Téte António, and South Sudan’s Minister of EAC Affairs Deng Alor Kuol also participated.