President Mnangagwa in Kenya for Congo Crisis Peace Talks

President Mnangagwa in Kenya (image source)

Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa has arrived in Nairobi, Kenya, for a high-level regional summit focused on advancing peace efforts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The summit, which convenes on Friday, August 1, is a Joint East African Community (EAC)–Southern African Development Community (SADC) Co-Chairs’ Meeting intended to harmonise mediation efforts for eastern DRC’s protracted conflict.

President Mnangagwa, who currently chairs the SADC block, was received at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on Wednesday evening by Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Musalia Mudavadi. He was accompanied by Zimbabwe’s Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister, Professor Amon Murwira, and other senior government officials.

The Nairobi summit aims to consolidate separate diplomatic and military efforts previously led by SADC and EAC into a unified peace strategy. President William Ruto of Kenya, who is also the current EAC Chairperson, is expected to formally announce a panel of five facilitators mandated with steering negotiations between the Congolese government and various armed factions operating in the volatile eastern region.

“This meeting reflects our shared commitment to African-led solutions for peace and stability,” said Mudavadi. He was joined by Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku, Kenya’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe Gertrude Angote, and Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Kenya Winipeg Moyo.

In recent years, both regional blocs have independently engaged in peace initiatives in the DRC. The Nairobi talks are seen as a milestone in unifying these efforts, with the summit expected to formally adopt the facilitators’ terms of reference and determine funding mechanisms for the mission.

Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary, Mr Korir Sing’Oei, noted that the meeting will provide a critical platform to brief the newly appointed facilitators and coordinate efforts across the two blocs. “The time has come to harmonise our peace tracks and give this region a single voice,” he said.

The panel of facilitators expected to lead the DRC peace process includes former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, former Central African Republic President Catherine Samba-Panza, former Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde, and former Botswana President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi.

Other key attendees include African Union Commission Chair Mr Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, SADC Executive Secretary Mr Elias Magosi, and EAC Secretary General Ms Veronica Nduva.

The summit is expected to bolster regional cooperation and renew hope for a peaceful resolution to one of Africa’s most enduring conflicts.