African leaders have thrown their support behind a new peace process aimed at ending the ongoing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, appointing Botswana’s former President Mokgweetsi Masisi to a high-profile panel tasked with steering inclusive dialogue.
The decision followed a virtual joint extraordinary summit of the East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC), co-chaired by Kenyan President William Ruto and Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa. The summit called for immediate resource mobilization, including humanitarian aid, to be coordinated under the African Union Commission (AUC).
According to the summit’s communique, the AUC will lead the consolidated African-led process, working alongside existing initiatives to ensure alignment and effectiveness. Leaders commended DR Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame for committing to dialogue in efforts to resolve the crisis involving M23 rebels, which has escalated since early 2025.
Joining Masisi on the facilitation panel are former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, former South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, former Central African Republic leader Catherine Samba-Panza, and former Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde.
The African-led initiative seeks to create a unified framework for negotiations and lasting stability in the conflict-torn eastern DRC.