European Union Special Representative for the Great Lakes Region, Ambassador Johan Borgstam, met with former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Friday in Nairobi. The meeting focused on current peace efforts and strategies aimed at restoring stability across the conflict-prone African Great Lakes region.
The private meeting took place at Kenyatta’s residence. A statement from his office confirmed that the conversation centered on regional peace building, with emphasis on diplomatic collaboration and conflict resolution.
The African Great Lakes region, which includes the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda, has faced persistent unrest fueled by armed militias, political instability, and cross-border tensions.
Former president Uhuru Kenyatta remains active in peace diplomacy since leaving office in 2022 playing a critical role in mediating talks under the East African Community-led Nairobi Peace Process, which aims to end fighting in eastern DRC.
Ambassador Borgstam, representing the EU’s interests in the region, reaffirmed the bloc’s commitment to supporting regional peace frameworks. The EU has been a financial and diplomatic partner in stabilization initiatives, including humanitarian support and disarmament programs.
Former president Uhuru Kenyatta welcomed the collaboration and emphasized the importance of sustained international support for locally driven peace solutions. “Peace in the Great Lakes region is not only possible, it is urgent. Continued dialogue and unity among partners are essential to ending violence and delivering hope,” Uhuru Kenyatta said, according to the statement.
The EU and African Union have in recent months increased pressure on armed groups to demobilize. Talks with stakeholders remain ongoing amid rising humanitarian needs in eastern Congo.
The meeting between EU Ambassador Borgstam and former president Uhuru Kenyatta signals continued alignment between African leadership and European diplomacy in addressing regional insecurity through structured dialogue and cooperation.
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