KEY POINTS
- African leaders push for a ceasefire and diplomatic peace efforts.
- Regional security chiefs will meet within five days to plan solutions.
- Leaders call for foreign armed forces to leave DRC territory.
Leaders from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community (EAC) gathered in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Saturday to address the worsening conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The summit, led by SADC chairperson President Emmerson Mnangagwa and EAC chairperson Kenyan President William Ruto, emphasized the importance of a political and diplomatic approach to resolving the crisis.
With ongoing violence and humanitarian disasters, leaders underscored the urgency of restoring peace through dialogue and diplomatic efforts.
Mnangagwa stated that the summit must establish a “concrete roadmap” to tackle the challenges hindering peace in the region.
According to ZBC News, he stressed that African leaders have a responsibility to silence the guns and implement long-term solutions to the escalating crisis.
The meeting concluded with a strong call for a ceasefire, immediate restoration of essential services, and an inclusive dialogue through the Luanda/Nairobi process, aimed at creating a unified peace effort.
Coordinating a regional response to the crisis
Recognizing the scale of the humanitarian crisis, the summit directed EAC-SADC Chiefs of Defense Forces to meet within five days to develop technical strategies.
The main priorities focus on implementing a ceasefire for stopping violent confrontations, establishing pathways for aid distribution and relaunching Goma Airport operations, which serve as important supply routes.
During the summit, African leaders decided to combine all current peace processes into one unified Luanda/Nairobi framework to improve mediation efforts between Congolese government and armed groups.
The organizational intervention intends to improve African leadership coordination while simplifying peace discussion processes.
The leaders requested foreign combat forces to depart from Congolese soil and demonstrated their backing for the DRC’s sovereignty as well as territorial integrity.
A commitment to long-term peace efforts
Annual evaluation meetings for regional security and development assessment became a new commitment between EAC and SADC leaders.
The summit urged the DRC government to protect lives and property while respecting international peace missions such as MONUSCO.
Next level implementation consists of ministerial sessions alongside technical team gatherings, to transform commitments made during the summit into practical activity.
Leaders are certain that concerted strategies among nations will create solutions to end the crisis, while building lasting stability in eastern DRC.
