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The Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community (EAC) are holding a joint summit in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania to address the security situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to find a solution to the ongoing conflict in the region.
The Summit seeks to engage all parties to the conflict on a ceasefire process to protect lives and facilitate humanitarian support. It also aims to facilitate a smooth flow of humanitarian support to people and communities affected by the armed conflict and discuss ways to restore peace and security in the eastern DRC and the region at large.
Hon. Prof. Dr. Amon Murwira, Zimbabwe’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and Co-chair of the joint summit said the meeting provides both RECs with a platform to resolve their challenges for durable and sustainable peace as a firm contribution to the African agenda for silencing the guns.
“This is a historic event and we should seize the opportunity so that we make a sure start to a process for ensuring permanent peace in our region, starting with the eastern part of the DRC. Allow me to express our heartfelt condolences for the tragic loss of lives of our 17 peacekeepers from SADC and more than 700 civilians as a result of the ongoing conflict.
“Honorable Ministers and dear colleagues, the SADC founding fathers envisaged a regional body aimed at enhancing peace and security to foster economic and social integration. This vision, underpinned by the principles of sovereign equality, territorial integrity, pan-Africanism, and collective self-defense, is currently under threat owing to the escalation of conflict in the eastern DRC. SAMI DRC, on the invitation of the DRC government and consistent with international, continental, and regional security frameworks and architecture, was therefore deployed to assist our sister country in achieving peace,” Prof Murwira said.
He said the security and humanitarian crisis in eastern DRC continues to deteriorate despite the noble efforts through the Luanda and Nairobi processes.
“It is heartbreaking that around 400,000 people have been displaced in the seat of Goma this year alone. Honorable Ministers, ladies, and gentlemen, the situation in eastern DRC requires all of us, the international community at large and parties to the conflict, to put our hands on deck in finding lasting peace and security in eastern DRC.
“Let’s take this opportunity to commend our principals for their visionary leadership which led us to this historic event. We don’t know of any conflict or any war that was solved through guns alone. Regrettably, the situation in the eastern DRC has a negative collateral impact on the SADC and EAC regions and beyond,” Prof Murwira added
Her Excellency Veronica M. Nduva, the Secretary-General of the East African Community (EAC) yesterday said the ESC Summit of Heads of State meeting in an Extraordinary Session on 27 January 2025 deemed it necessary to address the matter in complementary partnership with their SADC counterparts, based on the shared values and concerns.
“As Secretariats, we have jointly followed through on the decision of the Summit, hence this meeting today. The technical work we shared with you to support this meeting is not conclusive, but it is meant to provide a basis for broad deliberations. Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, in conclusion, I want to assure you that my office and staff as the Secretariat of the East African Community remain fully available to support your deliberations.
“We look forward to a positive, implementable, impactful outcome, one that East Africans and indeed all Africans are eagerly anticipating. The ESC stands in solidarity with those who have lost loved ones in the conflict and extends its deepest condolences. We also wish a swift recovery to those who have been injured,” she said.
HE Elias Magosi, the SADC Executive Secretary said it was important to enhance and solidify co-existence, dependence and continued collaboration between the regional economic communities.
“I would also want to extend our appreciation to the two Chairpersons of the respective Councils of Ministers, Honourable Professor Murwira and Honourable Dr Mudavadi, for their excellent coordination between the Chairpersons of our RECs and the two Secretariats. They made our tasks fairly easy and seamless. Third and lastly, let me also thank our colleagues from the East African Community for their collaborative efforts and cooperation with the SADC Secretariat in preparing for this joint meeting. I do trust that this will be the norm as we proceed to coordinate and implement decisions from the Extraordinary Summit,” he said.
He added that the security situation in the eastern part of DRC remains volatile, characterised by attacks by M23 and the capture of Minovo, Sake and Goma, which resulted in the deaths and casualties of civilians and peacekeepers, worsening an already fragile security and humanitarian situation in eastern DRC.
“What is more concerning is that the instability has disproportionately affected women, children, and persons with disability. We are all aware that this joint meeting has been convened in fulfillment of the decision of the Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of 31 January 2025 in Harare, the Republic of Zimbabwe, where the Summit assessed the precarious and fast-evolving security situation in DRC and called for an immediate joint summit of SADC and EAC to find the best way forward and a collective approach to the security situation in the DRC.
“In our quest to find lasting peace and security in DRC, SADC has continued to provide support towards two major political and diplomatic processes which are aimed at facilitating dialogue, namely the Rwanda process led by His Excellency João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola and the African Union, Champion on Peace and Reconciliation in Africa, and the Nairobi process led by His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta, former President of the Republic of Kenya.”
He added that the joint meeting of Ministers, therefore, marks a significant step in the spirit of solidarity and collaboration between members of SADC and EAC in finding a lasting solution to the security situation in the DRC, a member country that belongs to the two RECS.
“We, therefore, remain hopeful that our collective actions to address the security situation in DRC will not only bring peace and stability in the country but also to the broader regions that the DRC is a member.”
The meeting is critical to me for several reasons. First, there have been numerous meetings with multiple agreements and interventions over the years since the conflict in DRC started more than 30 years ago. The meeting is certainly not the first, nor will it be the last.
Second, despite multiple engagements and forums held before, not much has been achieved over the years. HE Magosi said this has created frustration and hopelessness from the DRC populations (7:46) who are at the receiving end of the conflict.
He reiterated that the joint meetings should propose pragmatic actions and recommendations that will be tabled to the joint meeting on Saturday 8 February 2025. He expressed optimism that the two-day meeting will yield very tangible and progressive solutions, with clear deliverables and associated implementation plans, where possible, and timelines, as well as responsible parties to ensure a successful delivery.
“Without this level of detail and focus, we may become another statistic of meetings that have not produced much. The situation, as you all know, is dire and needs our urgent attention to save lives and allow the people of the DRC to live in peace and tranquillity,” HE Magosi added.
Hon. Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, Tanzania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation and Chair of SADC Troika Organ thanked Dr. Samia Sulu Hasan, the President of the United Republic of Tanzania, for her selfless decision to graciously host these critical meetings.
Prime Cabinet Secretary, Musalia Mudavadi, Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs of the Republic of Kenya and Co-chair of SADC-EAC Ministerial Meeting said the situation in DRC demands immediate and sustained attention.
“In this way, we aim to respond promptly to the immediate concerns of peace, humanitarianism, human security, and sustainable development. Notably, the long-drawn conflict in the eastern region of DRC has and continues to claim millions of lives and displace countless civilians with children, women, and persons with disabilities bearing the brunt. Another major risk is that the conflict continues to rapidly mutate into other forms of threats to human security and dignity, such as sexual exploitation, abuse, and gender-based violence as a mode of war, illicit exploitation and trafficking of natural resources, swelling war economy, and erosion of state institutions and authority,” he said.