President William Ruto on Monday evening co-chaired a virtual Joint Summit aimed at resolving the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo conflict.
The meeting, co-chaired by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, is a follow-up to the February 8, 2025, joint session held in Dar es Salaam.
It brought together Heads of State and Government of the East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The Summit resolved to expedite the peace process by appointing five former presidents to an expanded panel of facilitators.
They are former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo (Nigeria), Uhuru Kenyatta (Kenya), Kgalema Motlanthe (South Africa), Catherine Samba Panza (Central African Republic) and Sahle-Work Zewde (Ethiopia).
The Summit also adopted the report on the outcomes of the joint EAC-SADC meeting of ministers held on March 17, 2025, in Harare.
It also included the report of the joint meeting of Chiefs of Defence and the roadmap detailing the implementation measures to attain sustainable peace and security in Eastern DRC.
The Summit directed the relevant parties to implement the report speedily.
It also asked the co-chairs to convene a briefing session with the panel of facilitators within the next seven days.
The briefing, it stated, should be conducted jointly by SADC, EAC and the African Union.
President Ruto said leaders from the two regional blocs were committed to addressing the escalating conflict that has caused loss of lives, displacement of thousands and a devastating humanitarian crisis.
He noted that the situation poses a great danger not just to the DRC but to the entire region’s stability.
He warned that the conflict could spill over into neighbouring countries and destabilise the EAC and SADC regions.
President Ruto commended Presidents Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Felix Tshisekedi of DRC for their commitment to resolving the conflict, citing a face-to-face meeting last week.
“This is a clear demonstration on their part that they are equally committed to resolving the conflict in Eastern DRC,” he said.
Heads of State and Government who participated in the joint summit were Presidents Lazarus Chakwera of 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).
Somalia Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, Téte António, Minister of External Relations of Angola and the Minister of East African Community Affairs of South Sudan Deng Alor Kuol were also present.
