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EAC, SADC leaders call for ceasefire in Eastern DRC, plan security measures for Goma

Africa

By Esther Nyambura | Feb 08, 2025

**EAC, SADC leaders call for immediate ceasefire in eastern DRC, direct Chiefs of Defence Forces to meet within five days to develop a securitization plan for Goma.** [File, EAC]

Leaders from the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have called for an immediate ceasefire and cessation of hostilities in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) amid escalating violence.

Meeting in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, the leaders directed EAC-SADC Chiefs of Defence Forces (CDFs) to convene within five days to develop a securitization plan for Goma and its surrounding areas, among other security measures.

The summit took place as Goma faces a deepening crisis, with recent intense fighting between M23 rebels and government forces resulting in over 700 deaths.

In addition to addressing the violence, the leaders condemned attacks on diplomatic missions and embassies in Kinshasa, calling on the DRC government to uphold international peace principles and protect lives and property.

“The Joint Summit expressed concern about the escalating crisis manifesting in attacks on Diplomatic Missions, Embassies, and Staff based in Kinshasa and urged the Government of DRC to protect lives and property as well as upholding long-lasting legal and moral principles of respecting peace missions in DRC such as MONUSCO and the others,” read the statement by the Heads of State.

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The summit reaffirmed that political and diplomatic engagement remains the most sustainable solution to the conflict. Leaders emphasised the need for continued dialogue under the Luanda and Nairobi peace processes and directed the merger of the two to strengthen their effectiveness.

Other key directives include reopening main supply routes to facilitate humanitarian assistance, resuming direct negotiations with both state and non-state actors, and developing a roadmap for the withdrawal of uninvited foreign armed forces from the DRC.

The Heads of State also mandated a joint ministerial meeting within 30 days to review the progress of ceasefire efforts and the implementation of summit resolutions.

The meeting was chaired by Zimbabwean President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, the current SADC chairperson, and co-chaired by President William Ruto, the current EAC chairperson.