Harare, (New Ziana) – In a bid to accelerate peace efforts in conflict-ridden Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the leaders of the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) regional groups on Monday appointed five former African presidents to mediate an end to the war.

Rebels, believed to be supported by Rwanda, have invaded and occupied vast swathe of eastern DRC, and are threatening to advance onto the capital, Kinshasa in the west of the country.

The EAC and SADC have been jointly trying to get the two sides to end the conflict, which has killed thousands, and displaced millions others from their villages and towns.

In the latest regional peace effort, Kenyan President William Ruto representing the EAC, and SADC chairman, President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, Nigeria’s Olusegun Obasanjo, South Africa’s Kgalema Motlante, Ethiopia’s Sahle-Zewde and former Central African Republic leader Catherine Samba-Panza as the regional groups’ mediators in the DRC conflict.

The appointments were one of the outcomes of Monday’s joint virtual summit of the leaders of the two groups on the DRC conflict, where support for a diplomatic solution to the war was reaffirmed in line with the position adopted by the EAC and SADC at a joint meeting in February in Tanzania.

The leaders also endorsed a report by defence and foreign ministers from EAC and SADC nations following their March 17 consultations in Zimbabwe.

The ministers agreed to revitalise peace initiatives and urgently develop a joint roadmap encompassing political and military measures to address the worsening humanitarian and security situation in eastern DRC.

Among other leaders who took part in the meeting are DRC President Felix Tshisekedi, Rwanda’s Paul Kagame, South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, Tanzania’s Samia Suluhu Hassan and Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni.

New Ziana