The Heads of State and Government from the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) are set to hold their second joint summit on Monday, March 24, to discuss the security crisis in eastern DR Congo.
The first joint summit, held on February 8 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, emphasized resolving the conflict through the Africa-led Luanda and Nairobi peace processes. Leaders from both regional blocs reaffirmed the importance of these initiatives and directed that they be merged to streamline efforts toward a peaceful resolution.
Another key resolution from the February meeting was the call for implementing a previously approved plan to neutralize the FDLR, a DR Congo-based terrorist militia composed of remnants of those responsible for the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. The group poses a significant threat to Rwanda, the broader region, and particularly the Congolese Tutsi communities it has targeted, exacerbating the ongoing crisis.
The upcoming virtual summit will be co-chaired by Kenyan President William Ruto, the current EAC Chairperson, and Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, the Chairperson of SADC. According to an EAC communiqué, the leaders will discuss a report presented during the joint EAC-SADC ministerial meeting held on March 17 in Harare, Zimbabwe.
During the March 17 ministerial session, officials committed to swiftly implementing a joint roadmap to address the crisis. The meeting in Harare emphasized a comprehensive strategy that includes both political and military interventions to tackle the complex security and humanitarian challenges in DR Congo in the short, medium, and long term.
Zimbabwe’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Amon Murwira, who also chairs the SADC Council of Ministers, highlighted the urgency of the situation. He stressed that regional solutions were essential for lasting peace, stating, “It is our conviction that the decisions we have adopted will drive our peace efforts forward, as no one but ourselves will bring the peace we seek for our two regions.”
Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs Minister, Musalia Mudavadi, co-chairing the ministerial meeting, praised Angolan President João Lourenço—who also chairs the African Union—for his role in facilitating direct negotiations between the Congolese government and the AFC/M23 rebel group. Mudavadi emphasized that inclusive dialogue remains the only sustainable path to peace in DR Congo, urging EAC and SADC to synchronize their efforts.