Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of Nigeria, Hailemariam Desalegn, former Prime Minister of Ethiopia, and Uhuru Kenyatta, former President of Kenya, have been appointed as mediators in the merged Luanda and Nairobi peace talks aimed at restoring peace in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the region at large.
This decision was announced on February 24, 2025, by Kenyan President and Chairperson of the East African Community (EAC), Dr. William Samoei Ruto, along with Zimbabwe a President and Chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Emmerson Mnangagwa.
President Ruto and Mnangagwa explained that the decision to appoint these mediators was made during a summit of EAC and SADC heads of state held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on February 8, 2025.
This is not the first time Obasanjo has been involved as a mediator in the eastern DRC conflict, as he previously served as the United Nations Secretary-General’s envoy in 2008 during negotiations between the DRC government and the armed group CNDP.
Similarly, Uhuru Kenyatta has been a mediator in the Nairobi peace talks between the Congolese government and armed groups since April 2022. However, these talks were suspended in December 2022 following tensions between the DRC government and EAC member states.
Angolan President João Lourenço stepped down from his mediation role in these talks after assuming the chairmanship of the African Union (AU). He had been the lead mediator in the Luanda process since 2022.
During the Dar es Salaam summit, the regional leaders agreed that before any talks between the DRC government and armed groups, including M23, military confrontations and provocations in eastern DRC must cease. Additionally, humanitarian aid efforts must be prioritized, major roads and the Goma airport must be reopened.
On February 21, the Chiefs of Defense Forces from EAC member states met in Nairobi, while those from SADC gathered in Dar es Salaam to draft resolutions on how to restore stability in eastern DRC.
These resolutions were discussed on February 24 when EAC and SADC defense chiefs convened in Dar es Salaam. The final report from these discussions will be submitted to the defense ministers of both regional blocs.
