DR Congo : Single Africa-Led Peacekeeping Endorsed

African leaders have agreed to put in place a unique Africa-led peacekeeping mission in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The decision was taken during a joint EAC-SADC Summit Co-Chaired by President William Ruto of Kenya and President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe. During the meeting with representatives from the African Union and member states to discuss the security crisis in the eastern DRC, President Ruto and his Zimbabwean counterpart Mnangagwa, led resolutions to merge the mediation and secretariat structures of the EAC (East African Community), SADC (Southern African Development Community), and African Union into a unified effort led by the AU in Addis Ababa. Apart from adopting key frameworks to guide inclusive mediation, participants also resolved that the AU coordinate and ensure alignment of all regional and international efforts under an African-led process.
Speaking during the Summit, President Ruto said, “The African Union, SADC, and EAC are committed to silencing the guns and ending the decades-long conflict in the eastern DRC through a well-structured collaboration. He added during a meeting with the panel of facilitators on the restoration of peace and stability in the eastern DRC that, “We have an opportunity as Africa, and with the participation of the international community, to provide the necessary mechanisms for the resolution of the challenges that we have in the eastern DRC.”
Though no further details were given wit...