President William Ruto and his predecessor, Uhuru Kenyatta together with other former heads of state, are set to meet and hold a high-level session on the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo – DRC.
According to a Tuesday, March 25, Communique of the 2nd Joint EAC- SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government, Ruto and co-chair Zimbabwe’s President, Emmerson Mnangagwa will meet the newly appointed facilitators regarding the escalating conflict in the DRC.
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta is among members appointed to the Panel of Facilitators of the discussions.
Kenyatta was appointed unanimously alongside Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of Nigeria, Kgalema Motlanthe, former President of South Africa, Catherine Samba Panza, former President of Central African Republic and, Sahle-Work Zewde, former President of Ethiopia.
Consequently, the Joint Summit directed the co-chairs to convene and brief facilitators on new resolutions aimed at addressing the crisis in DRC.
Also Read: President Ruto Meets Uhuru Kenyatta [FULL DETAILS]
Orders Given to Ruto and Uhuru’s Team
As per the summit’s resolutions, Ruto and Mnangagwa must convene the briefing within seven days.
“The Joint Summit directed the co-chairs to organize a session with the facilitation panel within the next seven days, ensuring a joint briefing by SADC, EAC, and the African Union,” the communiqué stated.
Additionally, the summit tasked the EAC and SADC secretariats with formally notifying the appointed facilitators and updating the African Union (AU) and the United Nations Security Council on the latest developments.
“The EAC and SADC Secretariats to notify the Facilitators of the Joint Summit’s unanimous appointment and convey the outcomes of this Joint Summit to the African Union (AU) and the UN Security Council,” added the communiqué.
The expanded panel, which includes female representation following calls from SADC and Congolese delegations, is expected to strengthen efforts to secure a peace deal for eastern DRC, where the ongoing conflict has led to a severe humanitarian crisis.
However, former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn who previously held a facilitation role, has been dropped from the mediation team.
Also Read: Uhuru Complains of Being Sidelined in DRC Peace Talks
Uhuru Complains
Earlier in February, former President Uhuru Kenyatta lamented that he has been sidelined in the DRC Peace talks as the leader of the Nairobi Peace Process.
In his statement, the fourth president stressed the urgent need for renewed peace talks between the warring states.
He explained the dishonoring of an earlier ceasefire as a significant setback, which had slowed down the peace and diplomatic negotiations that were agreed upon in the peace process.
Uhuru added that the 2023 DRC elections and lack of political goodwill undermined the process.
Moreover, he called for Rwanda and DRC to embrace dialogue and agree on a ceasefire deal to quell the heightening clashes.
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