Former presidents from Kenya, Ethiopia, and Nigeria have been chosen to lead peace efforts in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Fighting has gotten worse in the eastern part of the country, and two African regional groups, the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), are working together to bring peace.
The M23 rebel group, which is backed by Rwanda, has taken control of large areas in eastern DRC, causing a humanitarian crisis.
To stop the violence, EAC and SADC held a meeting on February 8 and decided to combine two separate peace efforts that were taking place in Luanda and Nairobi.
The two organizations have appointed former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, and former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo to lead the peace talks. Their main goals include:
- Achieving an immediate ceasefire
- Ensuring humanitarian aid reaches those in need
- Securing the Goma airport, a key location captured by M23
To plan the ceasefire, EAC and SADC will hold a ministerial meeting on Friday. The hope is that these efforts will help bring stability to the region and end the suffering of people affected by the conflict.
