Kenya calls for dialogue over combat to restore peace in Eastern DRC

Prime Cabinet Secretary Hon. Musalia Mudavadi at EAC and SADC meeting in Dar es Salaam on Friday. Photo by OPCS press

Kenya has joined fellow East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states in calling for an immediate ceasefire and cessation of hostilities in the conflict-ridden eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Speaking during a high-level ministerial meeting in Dar es Salaam on Friday, Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Musalia Mudavadi, emphasized that dialogue—not combat—is the key to restoring lasting peace in the volatile region.

“Peace is not like instant coffee. You cannot brew it,” Mudavadi remarked, underscoring the need for patience and strategic diplomacy. “We have a golden moment as EAC and SADC to help the people of DRC.”

The ministerial meeting, co-chaired by Mudavadi and Zimbabwe’s Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Prof. Amon Murwira—who also chairs the SADC Council of Ministers—sets the stage for a critical Heads of State and Government Summit scheduled for Saturday. Kenya’s President William Ruto is expected to attend, alongside other regional leaders.

Mudavadi painted a grim picture of the ongoing crisis, describing it as a humanitarian catastrophe that has claimed millions of lives and displaced countless civilians especially women, children, and persons with disabilities.

“The long-drawn conflict continues to rapidly mutate into other forms of threats to human security and dignity,” he warned, citing issues such as sexual exploitation, gender-based violence as a weapon of war, illicit resource trafficking, the proliferation of war economies, and the erosion of state institutions.

The Prime CS stressed that the instability in Eastern DRC is not just a Congolese problem but a regional and global security threat.

“Insecurity and conflicts in one region can escalate and destabilize the whole world,” Mudavadi said. “This situation demands our immediate, collective, and sustained attention to respond effectively to peace, humanitarian needs, human security, and sustainable development.”

Kenya strongly condemned recent attacks on peacekeeping missions in the DRC, with Mudavadi describing them as a “stark affront to civility and a violation of the tenets of multilateral collective security.” He urged all parties involved in the conflict to respect international law, particularly the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, and to guarantee the safety of diplomatic missions and personnel.

“As we give dialogue a chance, there is a need for all parties to uphold the long-lasting legal and moral principles of respecting peace missions,” he added.

Mudavadi warned that failure to stabilize the DRC could plunge large parts of the continent into chronic insecurity and perpetual conflict.

“What is happening in DRC should prick our collective conscience. Insecurity in one part of the world ought to be considered as insecurity in the entire world,” he said. “This ministerial meeting and the Joint EAC-SADC Summit must provide direction on the best way forward regarding peace and security in our sister country.”

He highlighted the AU-led Luanda Process and the EAC-led Nairobi Process as key peace initiatives already in place but called for their harmonization.

“Such a joint approach will eliminate coordination challenges posed by multiple peace and security initiatives, which could otherwise work at cross-purposes,” Mudavadi explained. “We seek not adversarial positions but joint efforts that yield impactful and practical results.”

The crisis in Eastern DRC predates 1994 and has worsened over time. Armed groups such as the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), and Red Tabara continue to operate with impunity.

While there were about 35 local armed groups in 2012/13, this number has ballooned to approximately 150 groups, particularly concentrated in the North and South Kivu provinces. Despite numerous regional, continental, and UN-led interventions over the past 26 years, the outcomes have been mixed, with peace remaining elusive.

Mudavadi concluded by stressing that stabilizing the DRC is crucial not only for the country’s future but also for the prosperity and security of the entire African continent.

“The prosperity of our regional blocs and individual nations largely depends on the security of DRC,” he said. “Cohesion and stability in the region will benefit all our citizens.”