THE second joint summit of the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has appointed an expanded panel to lead peace efforts in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), following Angola’s recent withdrawal due to shifting regional priorities.

The new panel includes former Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde, Central African Republic’s Catherine Samba-Panza, Kenya’s Uhuru Kenyatta, Nigeria’s Olusegun Obasanjo and South Africa’s Kgalema Motlanthe.

Former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn has been excluded from the group.

According to a communiqué issued yesterday, the second summit was held virtually and co-chaired by EAC Chairperson President William Ruto of Kenya and SADC Chairperson President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe. The leaders agreed that a political solution should be prioritised.

The Joint Summit instructed the Co-chairs to hold a joint briefing session with the panel of facilitators within seven days, coordinated by SADC, EAC and the African Union (AU).

President Ruto expressed concern over escalating violence in eastern DRC, while Rwanda’s Paul Kagame emphasised addressing injustice and political grievances to achieve lasting peace.

Angola, which previously led the AU-sanctioned Luanda Process aimed at reconciling Presidents Félix Tshisekedi of the DRC and Paul Kagame of Rwanda, did not participate in the summit. President João Lourenço was represented by his Foreign Minister, Téte António.

Earlier this week, Angola formally announced its decision to relinquish its mediation role, citing a need to focus on broader continental priorities in its new capacity as African Union Chair.

The Angolan president office in a statement, referenced the aborted Luanda meeting with M23 representatives and reaffirmed its commitment to African-led solutions, despite its surprise at Qatar’s recent mediation efforts between the DRC and Rwanda.

Luanda’s exit follows growing tensions, particularly after Presidents Tshisekedi and Kagame met in Doha on the same day Kinshasa had dispatched a delegation to Angola for talks with M23 rebels.

The summit also endorsed the EAC-SADC Ministerial meeting outcomes, which outlined a roadmap for stability in the war-torn region, where violence by armed groups, including M23’s recent territorial gains, has worsened the humanitarian crisis.

The Joint Summit recalled the decisions of the first Joint EAC-SADC Summit held on February 8, 2025, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and the resolutions of the 1261st Summit Level Meeting of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council held on February 14, 2025, as well as the UN Security Council Resolution 2773 from February 21, 2025.

These agreements emphasised the need for concerted efforts to address the deteriorating security situation in Eastern DRC.

The Joint Summit also adopted the report on the outcomes of the Joint EACSADC Ministerial Meeting held on March 17, 2025, in Harare, Zimbabwe.

This included the report from the Joint Meeting of Chiefs of Defence, outlining a roadmap with immediate, medium and long-term measures to achieve sustainable peace and security in Eastern DRC. The summit directed for the swift implementation of these measures by the relevant parties.

Few weeks ago, SADC leaders agreed on a phased withdrawal of troops attached to the SADC Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC).

SAMIDRC troops included soldiers from Tanzania, South Africa and Malawi sent in 2023 mandated to support the Congolese army in fighting and eradicating the M23 and other armed groups that continue to disrupt peace and security.