Africa-Press – Lesotho. Restoring peace and stability in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was the focus of an Extraordinary Joint Summit of Heads of State and Government of the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) that happened on Wednesday.
According to a press release, the Summit was held virtually, and Angola was represented by the minister of Foreign Affairs, Téte António, on behalf of the Angolan Head of State and Chairperson of the African Union, João Lourenço.
The gathering was co-chaired by the Presidents of Zimbabwe and leader of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, and of the currently leading the East African Community (EAC), Kenyan William Ruto.
The Joint EAC-SADC Summit aimed to restore peace and stability in the DRC through the appointment of a Panel of Facilitators led by five former African Heads of State, namely Mokgweetsi Masisi (Botswana), Olusegun Obasanjo (Nigeria), Uhuru Kenyatta (Kenya), Catherine Samba-Panza (CAR), and Sahle-Work Zewde (Ethiopia).
The overall mandate of the Panel of Facilitators is to lead and guide diplomatic efforts within the framework of the unified SADC-EAC initiative, consolidating the Nairobi and Luanda processes, with a view to achieving a comprehensive, just, and sustainable solution to the conflict in eastern DRC.
These Facilitators, in consultation with the African Union Commission (AUC) mediator, must engage the conflicting parties in Eastern DRC and break down communication barriers, identify the underlying reasons fueling the conflict, and chart a path forward for its sustainable resolution.
They must also explore options and find ways to reach mutual agreements capable of restoring hope and restoring trust between the parties.
The Extraordinary Joint Summit of Heads of State and Government of the EAC and SADC was attended by the Presidents of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, and of the DRC, Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi, of Zambia, Hakainde Hichilema; the Vice-Presidents of Uganda, Jessica Alupo; of Burundi, Prosper Bazombanza; of Tanzania, Philip Isdor Mpango; and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Madagascar, Malawi and South Sudan.
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