Story by Oleen Ndori, Foreign Desk Editor
Ministers responsible for Defence and Foreign Affairs have met in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, ahead of Saturday’s Extraordinary SADC-EAC Heads of State and Government Summit.
As leaders of the two economic blocs prepare to meet this Saturday for the historic summit to discuss the volatile situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the ministerial meeting held this Friday sought to find ways to address the crisis.
East African Community Secretary General, His Excellency Veronica Nduva and SADC Executive Secretary, His Excellency Elias Magosi, said the meeting reflects the commitment to ending the conflict in DRC.
“Between July 2022 and February 2025, the DSC convened seven heads of state summits and one summit consultation, all addressing security in Eastern DRC, five of which were exclusively focused on the region’s crisis. This underscores our leaders’ unwavering commitment to finding a lasting solution that will bring peace, security and stability to a population that has endured conflict for over 26 years. 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 EAC stands in solidarity with those who have lost loved ones in the conflict and extends its deepest condolences,” said H.E Nduva.
“This 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. This 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. This has created frustration and, I believe, hopelessness in the DRC populations who are at the receiving end of the conflict. I want to believe that they have become doubtful of every engagement that takes place on this very subject of the security situation in eastern DRC. It is therefore my humble submission that the Extraordinary Joint Summit should be different, starting with your meeting here today, Honourable Ministers.
“These joint meetings should propose pragmatic actions and recommendations that will be tabled at the joint meeting tomorrow. The meetings for the next two days should yield very tangible and progressive solutions, with clear deliverables and associated implementation plans, where possible, and timelines, as well as responsible parties to ensure successful delivery,” said Mr Magosi.
Chair of the Ministerial Committee of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation Honourable Mahmoud Thabit Kombo applauded the two regions for coming together in seeking peace.
“This in itself is a testimony of you two secretaries’ commitment to serve your regions, both of you, meticulously and promote peace and security. We are mindful of ongoing diplomatic efforts to secure a peaceful resolution to the conflict through the Luanda Peace Process led by His Excellency Emmanuel González-Lorenzo, President of the Republic of Angola, and the Nairobi Peace Process which was led by former President Uhuru Kenyatta. Despite all these efforts and well-intentioned efforts and various other interventions by the international community, the security situation in Eastern DRC remains fragile and thus aggravates the human crisis and threatens regional stability,” he said.
Chairperson of the SADC Council of Ministers Professor Amon Murwira underscored the vital role that the historic meeting will play in silencing the guns.
“Our meeting provides us with a platform to resolve our challenges for durable and sustainable peace as our 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.
“Honourable 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,” said Prof Murwira.
The EAC is equally confident that a solution will be reached.
“It is important to reiterate the recent clarion call by separate extraordinary summits of the EAC and SADC to the warring parties to immediately cease hostilities and give a chance to dialogue and negotiations. And further, allow humanitarian assistance to be accessible to populations who are in dire need. As we give dialogue a chance and indeed we must, there is a need for all parties in the DRC to respect international law and ensure the safety of diplomatic assets and personnel within the country as well as uphold long lasting legal and moral principles of respecting peace missions.
“The recent attacks on peace missions in DRC are a stark affront to civility and a violation of the tenets of multilateral collective security. And at this juncture, just to underscore the words of the chairman, I think I would request that we give a minute’s silence for those who have lost their lives in the pursuit of peace for the people of DRC,” said EAC Delegation head, Dr Musalia Mudavadi.
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has also rallied the call for finding a peaceful solution to the crisis in the DRC which has led to the death of thousands of people.
The ministerial meeting of SADC and EAC acts as an advisor to the Heads of State and Government Summit.
