Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa landed in Nairobi on Thursday evening to co-chair a high-level peace meeting on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) with Kenyan President William Ruto. The session, hosted at State House, aims to align regional efforts in response to rising violence in eastern Congo.
President Mnangagwa, who currently chairs the Southern African Development Community (SADC), was received at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport by Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi. President Ruto is chairing the talks in his role as East African Community (EAC) leader.
The summit comes amid worsening security in North and South Kivu provinces. Armed groups have launched renewed attacks in the region, triggering displacement and disrupting local governance. M23 rebels seized control of Goma and Bukavu earlier this year, raising regional alarm and prompting international concern.
“This Joint EAC-SADC engagement is a strong demonstration of Africa’s commitment to African-led solutions for peace and stability,” Mudavadi said in a statement.
The Nairobi session brings together representatives from both the EAC and SADC, including key regional mediators. The expanded mediation panel was formed after Angola stepped back from its previous role in peace facilitation. It includes former Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta (Kenya), Olusegun Obasanjo (Nigeria), Kgalema Motlanthe (South Africa), Sahle-Work Zewde (Ethiopia), and Catherine Samba-Panza (Central African Republic).
The group is working alongside the African Union Commission and other stakeholders to push forward a unified peace framework.
The summit follows recommendations made during a ministerial session held in Harare earlier this year. That meeting produced a roadmap with immediate and long-term stabilization goals for the eastern Congo.
Kenya has taken a lead role in the Congo mediation effort since late 2022. Nairobi previously hosted the EAC-led peace talks, which included representatives from armed groups, the Congolese government, and civil society. The Kenyan-led talks were seen as a key attempt to restore dialogue after years of failed ceasefires and stalled negotiations.
The current meeting seeks to revive momentum around a coordinated regional response, reduce parallel efforts, and present a united political front.
Eastern Congo has been plagued by militia activity for decades, fueled by ethnic tensions, control of mineral-rich territory, and foreign involvement. Attempts to demobilize fighters and reintegrate armed groups have largely failed, while peacekeeping forces have struggled to secure lasting calm.
As violence surges, humanitarian conditions in the Kivu region have sharply deteriorated, with thousands of people forced to flee their homes in recent months.
The Nairobi summit is expected to deliver updated recommendations on troop deployment, humanitarian corridors, and a potential ceasefire framework backed by both EAC and SADC.
The DRC remains on high alert, with leaders from across the continent watching closely for signs of progress in what is widely seen as one of Africa’s most complex and urgent security crises.
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