African regional blocs agree on unified peace initiative to resolve DR Congo crisis

Kenyan President William Ruto and Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Friday agreed to adopt a unified peace process to resolve the ongoing security crisis in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

NAIROBI, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan President William Ruto and Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Friday agreed to adopt a unified peace process to resolve the ongoing security crisis in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Ruto and Mnangagwa, co-chairs of the joint East African Community (EAC)-Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit, agreed on the framework for the merger of the Nairobi and Luanda processes that are designed to restore lasting and sustainable peace in the DRC.

Ruto said in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi that the African Union, SADC, and EAC are committed to silencing the guns and ending the decades-long conflict in the eastern DRC through a well-structured collaboration.

"We have an opportunity as Africa, and with the participation of the international community, to provide the necessary mechanisms for the resolution of the challenges that we have in the eastern DRC," he said during the joint EAC-SADC Co-Chairs' Meeting with the panel of facilitators on the restoration of peace and stability in the eastern DRC.

Ruto noted that the Nairobi meeting resolved to create a coherent mechanism for mobilizing resources and coordinating well-meaning efforts, adding that the African process is not in conflict with other peace efforts on the eastern DRC, namely the Doha and Washington initiatives.

The Kenyan leader said the primary objective of the high-level meeting was to formally brief the panel of facilitators on their mandate, which includes guiding and overseeing a credible, inclusive political process in the eastern DRC. This process should engage all relevant stakeholders toward resolving the root causes of the crisis and restoring durable peace in the region.

Mnangagwa appealed to all parties in the peace process to engage in an honest manner to ensure lasting peace, noting that collaboration and synergy between the EAC and SADC regional blocs and other organizations, including the United Nations, are essential to the success of the peace process.

"In the spirit of pan-African unity and progress, we urge all parties to fully support the leadership of our esteemed facilitators and to engage in honest, inclusive, and constructive dialogue," he said.

The meeting brought together African Union Commission Chairperson Mahamoud Ali Youssouf and a panel of African facilitators, including former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, former President of the Central African Republic Catherine Samba-Panza, former Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde, and former Botswanan President Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi.■