EAC-SADC Summit Calls for Ceasefire

 

The Joint Summit of the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), held in Dar es Salaam on February 8, 2025, called for an immediate ceasefire in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to halt escalating violence in the country’s east.

The leaders stressed the need to end hostilities, protect civilian lives, and restore essential supply lines for humanitarian aid and food distribution.

The summit, co-chaired by Kenya’s President William Ruto (EAC Chair) and Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa (SADC Chair), directed the EAC-SADC Chiefs of Defense Forces to meet within five days and draft technical recommendations on enforcing an unconditional ceasefire, securing key areas like Goma, and reopening vital supply routes, including Goma Airport.

Host President Samia Suluhu of Tanzania said history "will judge us harshly if we remain still and watch the situation worsen day by day".

"In line with the principle of African solutions for Africa’s problems, our countries have a collective responsibility to ensure we urgently address the existing security challenges that have heavily impacted the well-being of innocent civilians," share said.

Leaders also reaffirmed that political and diplomatic engagement remains the most viable solution to the crisis and called for the unification of the Luanda and Nairobi peace processes.

Despite the high-profile nature of the summit, Burundi’s President Évariste Ndayishimiye was notably absent, having instead traveled to the United States for a prayer breakfast.

His decision to skip the meeting raised questions, given Burundi’s role in regional security efforts and its previous deployment of troops to eastern DR Congo under the EAC regional force.

Similarly, DR Congo’s President Félix Tshisekedi did not attend the summit in person.

Instead, he delegated his Prime Minister, Judith Suminwa, to represent him in Dar es Salaam.

Tshisekedi, who last week snubbed the EAC emergency summit and has previously also avoided travelling to Angola for the Luanda talks, later joined the discussions via an amended virtual session, participating remotely through a video link.

His absence on the ground comes amid continued tensions between Kinshasa and Rwanda, as well as criticism of the regional response to the crisis.

The summit also expressed deep concern over recent attacks on diplomatic missions in Kinshasa and called on the DRC government to ensure the safety of foreign personnel and peacekeeping forces such as MONUSCO.

Additionally, leaders extended condolences to victims of recent violence and reiterated the need for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

With the EAC and SADC now pushing for a stronger, coordinated regional response, attention turns to the coming days as military chiefs map out the next steps in enforcing the ceasefire.

However, with key figures absent from Dar es Salaam, questions remain over the political commitment to achieving lasting peace in DR Congo.