Regional leaders from across East and Southern Africa have arrived in Nairobi to prepare for a pivotal Joint East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) Co-Chairs’ Meeting, set for Friday, August 1, 2025. The summit, co-chaired by Kenya’s President William Ruto, the EAC Chairperson, and Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa, the SADC Chairperson, aims to advance the fragile peace process in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), particularly in the conflict-ridden eastern provinces of North and South Kivu.
The Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the arrival of several high-profile figures on Thursday, including former Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi, former Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde, and African Union Commission Chairperson Mahamoud Ali Youssouf. These leaders, alongside other regional mediators and stakeholders, will participate in a crucial briefing session with the Panel of Facilitators, a group tasked with steering peace negotiations in the DRC.
Friday’s meeting will focus on aligning EAC and SADC-led peace initiatives to address the ongoing violence in eastern DRC and cross-border tensions. The region has faced significant challenges, particularly after M23 captured Goma, the capital of North Kivu, and Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu, earlier in 2025, raising fears of further escalation.
The Nairobi summit builds on a framework established during a ministerial session in Harare, which outlined short, medium, and long-term actions to stabilize the mineral-rich region. Kenya has played a central role in these efforts, previously hosting the Nairobi Peace Talks, which brought together Congolese authorities, different group representatives, and regional stakeholders under the EAC’s leadership.
The August 1 meeting will assess progress in the peace process, strengthen coordination between the EAC and SADC, and establish clear timelines for the next steps in mediation. As the region grapples with cycles of violence, this summit represents a renewed commitment to finding a lasting political solution to bring stability and hope to the people of the DRC.
