The Heads of State of the East African Community (EAC) convened a virtual extraordinary summit on January 29, 2025, to address the escalating security crisis in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The summit, led by Kenyan President William Ruto, brought together the leaders of Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, Burundi, South Sudan, Rwanda, and Uganda to deliberate on the growing humanitarian and security challenges in the region.
The summit expressed deep concern over the ongoing violence in Eastern DRC, which has led to the loss of lives and severe suffering, particularly among women and children. The leaders offered condolences to the families of the victims and extended their wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured.
A key point of discussion was the increasing attacks on diplomatic missions and embassies in Kinshasa, the DRC capital. The summit urged the DRC government to take immediate action to safeguard diplomatic personnel and property, condemning the violence that threatens international relations.
In light of the worsening situation, the summit called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire from all conflicting parties. The leaders stressed the need for humanitarian access to affected populations, emphasizing the urgency of providing assistance to those in dire need.
The summit also called on the DRC government to engage directly with all relevant stakeholders, including armed groups such as M23, to resolve grievances and work toward a peaceful settlement of the conflict.
Recognizing the involvement of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in the DRC, the summit decided to convene a joint EAC-SADC summit to discuss the next steps in addressing the crisis. The EAC Chairperson was tasked with consulting the SADC Chairperson to arrange the meeting in the coming days.
The summit concluded with commendations for the EAC Chairperson’s leadership in convening the urgent meeting and reaffirmed the region’s commitment to peace and stability in the DRC.
