The meeting that brought together the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) on the issue of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), mainly regarding the conflict between the M23 movement and the government forces of Kinshasa, resulted in key resolutions, including the demand for an immediate ceasefire between the warring parties in the country.
The meeting emphasized that foreign actors involved in this conflict must withdraw from Congolese territory and that the FDLR movement must be disarmed.
Yesterday, on February 8, 2025, the meeting took place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where the EAC Secretary General, Veronica Nduva, stated: “The meeting ordered that direct talks between the government and all armed groups that are not aligned with the government must resume, including M23, and that the Luanda and Nairobi peace talks should be restarted.”
The meeting also decided that military chiefs from the countries within EAC and SADC should hold discussions to determine the next steps. It was agreed that they would convene five days after the conclusion of this summit of heads of state.
Additionally, the meeting called for the reopening of Goma airport to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to displaced people.
The leaders urged an end to hostilities, the initiation of infrastructure development projects, including food distribution and road rehabilitation.
They emphasized that political dialogue and negotiations are the only means to achieve lasting peace in North and South Kivu provinces.
The meeting ruled that the existing peace processes in Luanda and Nairobi should be merged into a single framework to reinforce each other.
The summit was attended by heads of state, including those from Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Somalia, and Zambia.
Meanwhile, the presidents of the DRC, Burundi, and South Africa sent representatives on their behalf, while President Tshisekedi followed the proceedings remotely using modern technology.
