Can the EAC-SADC directive bring lasting peace in Eastern DR Congo?

By Godfred Zina

Security remains a pressing issue in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) as leaders from the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) convened in Tanzania for a high-stakes joint summit. Their mission: to address the escalating crisis and chart a path toward stability.

In a decisive move, regional leaders issued several directives, with one particularly urgent mandate – within five days, the Chiefs of Defense Forces from both blocs must provide technical guidance on critical security measures.

Key Directives from the Summit

The summit’s resolutions include:

• Immediate and unconditional ceasefire to halt ongoing hostilities.
• Humanitarian aid deployment, ensuring the repatriation of deceased individuals and medical evacuation of the injured.
• Development of a security strategy for Goma and surrounding areas.
• Reopening of key supply routes to restore economic and logistical access.
• Immediate reopening of Goma Airport to facilitate movement and aid delivery.
• Additional military and political interventions as recommended by defense officials.

Notably, the summit also reaffirmed the Luanda and Nairobi peace initiatives, ordering their integration into a single, cohesive framework – the Luanda-Nairobi Process.

What’s Next?

Despite the urgency behind these measures, execution remains a formidable challenge. Military interventions alone are unlikely to resolve the deep-seated conflicts in the region.

A unified political approach, as outlined in the Luanda and Nairobi agreements, may hold the key to addressing the root causes of instability.

This directive signals a crucial step toward peace – but will it be enough to bring lasting stability to eastern DR Congo? The coming days will be critical in determining whether regional leaders can turn promises into action.

Godfred Zina is a freelance journalist and an associate with DefSEC Analytics Africa – a consulting agency specializing in the provision of accurate data and assessments on security, politics, investment, trade, and other risks within Africa. He is based in Accra, Ghana.