Uhuru gives update after attending EAC-SADC joint summit
By Aloys Michael, August 1, 2025Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has given updates after attending diplomatic peace talks with African leaders and regional bodies on their pursuit of peace in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
He joined fellow African statesmen at the East African Community (EAC) Southern African Development Community (SADC) joint summit in Nairobi on Friday, August 1, 2025.
As the peace panel gets to work under this new, consolidated framework, all eyes will be on how effectively the facilitators can bridge deep divisions and push for inclusive dialogue in a region where trust is fragile and violence is deeply entrenched.
Held at State House, Nairobi, the summit brought together regional heads and peace envoys to consolidate and realign mediation efforts under a single African-led framework. The initiative merges the previously separate Nairobi and Luanda peace processes, which had been championed by the EAC and the African Union (AU), respectively.
Uhuru, who was appointed as one of five members of the high-level EAC-SADC panel of facilitators, stressed the urgency of coordination to prevent further deterioration of the humanitarian crisis in eastern DRC.
Unified front for peace
The joint summit was co-chaired by President William Ruto (current chair of EAC), President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe (SADC chair), and AU Commission Chairperson Mahamoud Ali Youssouf. The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to supporting a unified peace process rooted in African solutions and continental solidarity.
The newly constituted panel also includes former President Catherine Samba-Panza (Central African Republic), President Sahle-Work Zewde (Ethiopia), President Mokgweetsi Masisi (Botswana), and President Olusegun Obasanjo (Nigeria), who participated virtually.
Their mandate is to lead strategic political interventions and steer the peace process toward inclusive dialogue, confidence-building, and sustainable ceasefires based on a jointly agreed EAC-SADC roadmap.
DRC crisis demands urgency
Eastern DRC continues to be gripped by violent conflict involving armed groups, foreign interventions, and internal political instability. The resulting insecurity has displaced millions and fueled one of the world’s most underreported humanitarian crises.
Uhuru noted that past peace initiatives had made gains but failed to create the structural conditions for lasting stability. The merging of the Nairobi and Luanda processes, he said, signals a fresh opportunity.
“This is not about replacing one process with another, but rather fusing our efforts to make them stronger. We owe it to the people of DRC and the future of our continent to be bold and uncompromising in our commitment to peace,” President William Ruto said during a briefing.
The panel’s work will involve engaging both state and non-state actors, mediating between DRC leadership and opposition groups, and consulting with civil society. It will also coordinate with international partners to align peacebuilding efforts without undermining African ownership of the process.
AU Chairperson Youssouf praised the decision to unify the mediation efforts and reiterated the African Union’s full support.
President Ruto, hosting the summit as EAC chair, emphasised the importance of African regional blocs taking leadership in resolving African conflicts, while President Mnangagwa added that the SADC region was fully committed to peace not only in DRC but across the continent.