SADC and EAC Chairs Meet in Nairobi Over Eastern DRC Crisis

Southern African Development Community (SADC) Chairperson and Zimbabwean President, His Excellency Dr. Emmerson Mnangagwa, is set to hold a joint meeting this Friday with East African Community (EAC) Chairperson and Kenyan President, His Excellency Dr. William Ruto, at the State House in Nairobi.

This high-level diplomatic engagement is part of broader regional efforts to address the ongoing conflict in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the security situation remains unstable.

During the meeting, facilitators tasked with steering the peace process in the DRC will be officially commissioned. They will receive their terms of reference and formal mandates to begin their work.

The escalating conflict in eastern DRC—largely driven by power struggles and competition over the area’s abundant natural resources—has led to years of violence and mass displacement. Regional bodies report that millions of Congolese citizens have been forced from their homes over the last decade.

As Presidents Mnangagwa and Ruto come together under their leadership roles in SADC and EAC, the meeting is expected to set the stage for a more unified and strategic approach to achieving long-term peace and stability in the region.