EAC, SADC Push Joint Peace Plan in Eastern DRC

DRC Crisis: EAC and SADC Leaders Endorse Military-Backed Peace Measures

The heads of state from the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have officially directed the implementation of strategies proposed by their military leaders to restore peace and stability in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

This high-level virtual summit, held on Sunday, brought together leaders from over 10 nations, including DRC President Félix Tshisekedi, Rwandan President Paul Kagame, and Burundi's President Evariste Ndayishimiye, among other key regional heads of state.

The meeting was jointly chaired by Kenyan President William Ruto, who currently leads the EAC, and Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa, the sitting chair of SADC. It followed a series of discussions last week among regional defense chiefs and foreign ministers aimed at finding a sustainable resolution to the persistent conflict in eastern DRC.

These senior officials had convened at the end of the previous week, during which new statements by stakeholders in the conflict signaled tentative progress towards peace, although concerns remain over the feasibility of actual implementation on the ground.

Despite these diplomatic efforts, renewed clashes erupted on Monday between DRC government-aligned forces known as the "Wazalendo" and the M23 rebel group, roughly 27 kilometers from the town of Walikale in North Kivu province. Although M23 had earlier claimed its fighters would withdraw from the area, it has since stated that the pullback cannot proceed because government forces have yet to remove their unmanned aerial vehicles from the zone.

The EAC and SADC heads of state have endorsed the resolutions presented in last week’s ministerial summit involving member states of both blocs. They also approved the detailed report submitted by the regional military chiefs, which had been previously ratified by foreign ministers of the member states.

As the situation continues to evolve, both regional blocs are intensifying their diplomatic and military coordination in hopes of paving the way for a lasting peace in eastern DRC.