Story by Josephine Mugiyo, Diplomatic Correspondent
SOUTHERN African Development Community (SADC) Chairperson and President of Zimbabwe, His Excellency Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa, is this Friday holding a joint meeting with the Chairperson of the East African Community (EAC) and President of Kenya, His Excellency Dr William Ruto, at the Nairobi State House.
The high-level engagement is part of ongoing regional efforts to find a lasting solution to the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the security situation remains volatile.
The joint SADC-EAC meeting will see facilitators, who will lead the peace process in the DRC, being officially given their mandate and terms of reference for their appointment.
The initiative is in response to continued fighting in the eastern DRC, where there have been clashes over power and natural resources.
According to regional authorities, millions of Congolese citizens have been displaced over the past decade due to the ongoing unrest.
As President Mnangagwa and President Ruto convene under their respective mandates as chairs of SADC and EAC, the meeting is expected to lay a new foundation for coordinated efforts towards durable peace and security in the DRC.
