EAC and SADC Hold Joint Meeting to Discuss DRC Issues

February 5, 2025

(3 Minutes Read)

The purpose of this extraordinary summit is to attempt to “reconnect with diplomacy and put an end to the cycle of clashes” in eastern DRC, he adds. However, achieving this goal requires the EAC and SADC to align their positions, which is currently not the case.

On Monday, February 3, Kenya, which currently holds the presidency of the East African Community (EAC), announced a joint summit with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) scheduled for Friday, February 7, and Saturday, February 8, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The statement also confirmed the participation of Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi. Kenyan President William Ruto, who is also the current EAC chair, revealed plans for this summit to address the situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The meeting is urgent following Rwanda’s recent M23 offensive on Goma, the capital of North Kivu, and ongoing clashes in South Kivu. In recent days, both regional organisations, which have differing views on conflict resolution, expressed the need for a joint meeting as soon as possible to align their positions and mitigate the risk of regional escalation.

He adds that the purpose of this extraordinary summit is to attempt to “reconnect with diplomacy and put an end to the cycle of clashes” in eastern DRC. However, achieving this goal requires the EAC and SADC to align their positions, which is currently not the case.

The EAC advocates for direct negotiations between the Congolese government and the M23, a prospect that President Félix Tshisekedi has so far rejected.