Uhuru Kenyatta, Obasanjo Among Leaders Appointed To Lead International Assignment [LIST]

A Joint Summit of the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has appointed former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and Nigeria’s ex-leader Olusegun Obasanjo to resolve the escalating crisis in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The summit, co-chaired by President William Ruto, head of the EAC, and Zimbabwe’s Emmerson Mnangagwa, appointed a high-profile Panel of Facilitators, including Obasanjo, Kenyatta, and former South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, to spearhead mediation efforts.

The panel also comprises former Central African Republic leader Catherine Samba-Panza and Ethiopia’s ex-president Sahle-Work Zewde, reflecting a commitment to gender and regional inclusivity.

“The Joint Summit directed the Co-chairs to convene a briefing session with the Panel of Facilitators within the next seven days; the briefing should be done jointly by SADC, EAC, and the AU,” reads part of the communiqué.

The directive came during a virtual summit on Monday, March 24, where regional leaders stressed the urgency of implementing a roadmap for sustainable peace in the conflict-ridden region.

The Eastern DRC has been experiencing violence involving armed groups, with recent clashes exacerbating humanitarian crises and displacing thousands. The summit reviewed reports from joint ministry and defence meetings, endorsing immediate and long-term measures to stabilise the region.

The leaders directed the EAC and SADC secretariats to formally notify the newly appointed facilitators and communicate the summit’s outcomes to the AU and UN. A follow-up briefing involving SADC, EAC, and AU representatives is scheduled for next week.

Attendees included Presidents Félix Tshisekedi of the DRC, Paul Kagame of Rwanda, and Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, among others, signalling broad regional consensus after the DRC showed interest in leaning towards the SADC-led peace talks in the Luanda Process. This marks the second joint EAC-SADC summit since February, when leaders met in Dar es Salaam to address the DRC crisis.

The earlier meeting laid the groundwork for the current roadmap, which includes military, political, and diplomatic measures. The UN Security Council further amplified pressure with Resolution 2773 in February, demanding an end to hostilities and foreign armed group involvement.

According to Prime Minister Judith Suminwa, more than 7,000 people have been killed, with approximately 3,000 deaths occurring in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province. Among these, over 2,500 bodies were buried without identification, and another 1,500 remain in morgues.

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