African leaders have agreed to unify all ongoing peace efforts for the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) under a single African Union-led initiative.
This major decision was reached during a joint summit of the East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) held on Friday, co-chaired by President William Ruto of Kenya and President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe.
The leaders resolved to merge existing mediation and secretariat frameworks—previously led separately by the EAC, SADC, and the African Union (AU)—into one consolidated peace process headquartered at the AU in Addis Ababa.
President Ruto described the move as a “turning point” in efforts to resolve the long-standing crisis.
“There is now one African-led process that consolidates all other efforts—Nairobi, Luanda, and others—into a single, coherent framework for peace in Eastern DRC,” Ruto said, warning of the escalating humanitarian and security crisis in the region.
“This instability doesn’t just affect the DRC and Rwanda—it threatens the entire region.”
The decision comes amid renewed attempts to end decades of violence in eastern Congo, where ethnic tensions, political grievances, and competition over mineral wealth have fueled one of Africa’s most persistent conflicts.
In July, M23 rebels—who have been backed by Rwanda—signed a declaration of principles for a permanent ceasefire with the Congolese government. The deal, brokered by Qatar, was hailed by the African Union as a “major milestone.”
In a separate effort, the United States facilitated a peace agreement at the State Department, where U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stood alongside the foreign ministers of Rwanda and the DRC. Rubio called the deal “an important moment after 30 years of war.”
Despite these agreements, the humanitarian toll remains severe. M23 continues to be the most prominent armed group in the conflict, with its major offensive earlier this year leading to thousands of deaths and the displacement of over 7 million people.
The AU-led peace framework now aims to harmonize international and regional efforts to end the crisis and restore lasting stability in eastern Congo.
