President William Ruto on Tuesday chaired the first meeting of the newly appointed facilitators for the Nairobi-Luanda peace process, aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict in eastern DRC. The virtual session brought together four former heads of state from the EAC and SADC regions: Olusegun Obasanjo, Uhuru Kenyatta, Sahle-Work Zewde, and Catherine Samba-Panza.
During the session, Ruto briefed the facilitators on their mandate, following their appointment at a March 24 joint summit co-chaired by Ruto and Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa. The summit adopted recommendations from a prior ministerial meeting, including reports from defense chiefs and a roadmap for achieving sustainable peace.
Ruto emphasized the urgency of addressing the escalating conflict, which threatens regional stability. He praised Presidents Paul Kagame and Felix Tshisekedi for their recent direct engagement in peace efforts. Leaders from several African nations, including Tanzania, South Africa, Uganda, and Somalia, participated in the summit to support the peace initiative.
