East, Southern Africa Leaders Unite to Push New Peace Plan for Eastern Congo

GOOBJOOG NEWS | NAIROBI: Leaders from East and Southern Africa, along with the African Union, have agreed to consolidate their peace initiatives for eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) into a single, unified framework, in a renewed push to end one of the continent’s most protracted conflicts.

The high-level summit, held in Nairobi on Friday, was co-chaired by Kenyan President William Ruto and Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa. It brought together representatives from the East African Community (EAC), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and the African Union Commission (AUC), alongside a panel of experienced regional facilitators.

The leaders endorsed the merger of the Nairobi and Luanda peace tracks, previously led separately by the EAC and Angola, into an African Union-led mediation process. A new five-member Panel of Facilitators will oversee the inclusive dialogue efforts, while a Joint Secretariat will be established in Addis Ababa to coordinate activities and streamline communication across the three blocs.

The summit featured participation from several high-profile figures, including former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, and former Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde, all of whom continue to play key roles as peace envoys in the DRC mediation process.

The session was chaired by Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, and also included key interventions from Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and Zimbabwe’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Amon Murwira.

In a show of unified commitment, the leaders emphasized the need for a centralized and African-led peace architecture. They also announced plans to mobilize resources for humanitarian relief in affected communities, and reaffirmed the importance of speaking with one voice on the international stage to support peace efforts in the DRC.

The leaders expressed appreciation to President Ruto and the government of Kenya for hosting the summit and acknowledged the preparatory work done by the EAC, SADC, and AU Secretariats.

A virtual follow-up summit is expected within the next seven days to maintain momentum and begin translating the agreements into operational outcomes.

The eastern DRC has remained a flashpoint of violence for decades, with dozens of armed groups clashing over territory, ethnic divisions, and control of mineral-rich land.

Regional leaders are now hoping that this unified framework will mark the beginning of a coordinated, sustained, and African-driven solution to one of the continent’s longest-standing crises.