Africa seeks control of DRC strife mediation

President William Ruto during the joint EAC-SADC co-chairs' meeting with the panel of facilitators for theDRC peace process at State House, Nairobi.[PCS] A day after the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda held talks toward a peace deal, two regional bodies mediating the conflict in eastern DRC formally merged. In a meeting hosted by President William Ruto at State House, Nairobi, the East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community yesterday implemented the merger first floated in February. A communique issued after the meeting, which also featured Zimbabwe's President Emerson Mnangagwa and African Union Commission chairperson Mahmoud Youssouf, said the new process would comprise the African Union (AU) mediator and the EAC-SADC panel of facilitators. A joint EAC-SADC summit is expected within seven days to ratify the resolutions. Equally important, the meeting wants other initiatives, such as the two led by the United States and Qatar, to align with the African-led process. During the meeting, Dr Ruto, Mnangagwa and Youssouf all rallied behind an African-led process as the most viable to achieve the much-needed stability in the DRC, despite evidence that drives by the continent have mostly been slow to achieve results. "We should incorporate the modalities of engagement with the Washington and the Doha initiatives in close consultation with the African Union-appointed mediator. We believe that a sustained, coordinated, Africa-led peace process remains the best pathway to a stable and peaceful DRC," said Ruto,adding that two regional blocs had come together owing to fears that the "conflict was threatening to run out of control and destabilise the region." On Thursday, Kinshasa and Kigali moved closer toward peace, attending a joint oversight committee meeting that also featured the AU, Qatar and the US. This follows two deals brokered separately by Washington and Doha regarding the DRC conflict. In June, US President Donald Trump's administration mediated a peace deal between Rwanda and the DRC, which fell out over Kigali's alleged role in facilitating M23 rebels, controlling swathes of eastern DRC. Rwanda agreed to withdraw troops from eastern DRC within 90 days. Last month, DRC President Felix Tshisekedi's government and M23 signed the Declaration of Principles under Qatari mediation, which committed both sides to a permanent ceasefire and seeking a peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue. On Tuesday, M23 fighters captured two villages in Northern Kivu, jeopardising the Doha deal. Yesterday, Ruto would double down on the need to have Africa lead the peace effort, asserting the joint African initiative was not in conflict with other initiatives. "In fact, the progress made through this African-led initiative now offers a solid framework for aligning the Washington Accord and the Qatar Agreement within a unified continental approach," Ruto posted on his handles. Mnangagwa urged the continent to take advantage of the window of opportunity presented by the new deals to find a lasting solution to the DRC conflict. "These milestones represent goodwill and renewed spirit of cooperation and good-neighbourliness... Leveraging on complementarity or efforts that lead to lasting peace in eastern DRC and the broader great lakes region must be synchronised to sustain momentum and, ultimately, lead to our desired result that is peace," said Mnangagwa. On his part, Youssouf said the AU should remain central in the mediation effort, even as he lauded Washington and Doha for their efforts. "It is paramount to capitalise on all the breakthroughs and progress that can bring peace and stability to our member countries," said the AUC chairperson.

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