NAIROBI, Kenya – The African Union (AU) has officially assumed leadership of peace efforts in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), following the dissolution of the Nairobi and Luanda-led peace processes.
The decision was announced by President William Ruto on Friday during a high-level meeting of East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) co-chairs at State House, Nairobi.
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta, who previously led the Nairobi peace talks, was also in attendance.
“To this end, we call for the merger of the Nairobi and Luanda peace processes to address the instability in the DRC,” Ruto said, noting the need for a harmonised continental approach under the AU Commission (AUC).
The AUC has now been tasked with overseeing the conflict resolution process in coordination with the Washington and Doha peace frameworks.
The move comes amid renewed violence in eastern DRC. On July 9, at least 169 civilians, including farmers, were killed in a deadly M23 rebel attack, according to a new report by the UN Joint Human Rights Office.
The continued instability has raised fresh alarm over the humanitarian and security crisis in the mineral-rich North Kivu province, where nearly 3,000 people have been killed in the ongoing conflict.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe, also present at the Nairobi meeting, acknowledged the role of both EAC Regional Force (EACRF) and the SADC peacekeeping mission in previous stabilization efforts.
“We appreciate the commitment made by both EACRF and SADC peacekeeping missions,” he said.
The Nairobi summit resolved to formally wind up the peace initiatives led by former President Kenyatta and Angolan President João Lourenço, who had spearheaded the Luanda process in his capacity as AU Chair.
AU Commission Chairperson Mohammoud Youssef Ali pledged the Union’s commitment to delivering a sustainable resolution to the crisis.
“We will strive towards achieving lasting peace in Eastern DRC,” he said.
As part of the transition, all humanitarian and peace-related mobilization efforts will now be coordinated through the AUC.
The Commission is also expected to convene an extraordinary virtual summit within seven days to communicate the resolutions adopted in Nairobi to the broader EAC and SADC blocs.
The consolidation of peace efforts under the African Union is seen as a major shift in continental diplomacy, aimed at streamlining the fragmented mediation efforts that have so far failed to quell the fighting in eastern DRC.
