Nairobi, Kenya – The East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has selected five former presidents as facilitators to lead peace talks to end armed conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The EAC chairperson President William Ruto of Kenya and SADC chairperson, President Emmerson Mnangagwa met in Nairobi where the two regional bodies reiterated the need for a lasting peace in the DRC after fighting between the Kinshasa government and rebels.
The five former presidents that will engage the DRC government and rebels are former presidents— Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi (Botswana), Sahle-Work Zewde (Ethiopia), Olusegun Obasanjo (Nigeria), Uhuru Kenyatta (Kenya) and Catherine Samba-Panza (Central African Republic).
Armed conflict between the government of the DRC and M23 rebels has been on and off in mineral rich eastern parts of the country. The rebels now control parts of the eastern DRC in recent months.
SADC peace mission which was led by South Africa has now completely withdrawn after they suffered defeat from the rebels in the eastern DRC.
Kinshasa accuses Rwanda of arming the M23 rebels but Kigali has denied the accusations.
Another parallel DRC peace initiative is being led by the US, African Union and Qatar resulted in Kinshasa and Kigali officials holding meetings in Washington earlier this month.
War in the DRC has resulted in hundreds of deaths, with thousands injured and displaced over the past months.