NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 24 – Heads of State and Government from the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) will convene their second joint summit on Monday evening to address the security situation in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The virtual summit will be co-chaired by President William Ruto, who also serves as the EAC Chairperson, and Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, the SADC Chairperson.
Leaders will deliberate on a report presented during the Joint EAC-SADC Ministerial Meeting held on March 17, in Harare, Zimbabwe, as they seek solutions to the ongoing instability in the region.
“The Heads of State and Government of the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) will convene their second joint summit on 24 March 2025 to address the critical security situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC),” part of the statement read.
Representing SADC will be its Double Troika including Zimbabwe (Chair), Angola (former Chair), and Madagascar (incoming Chair); along with States leading the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security Affairs: Tanzania (Chair), Malawi (incoming Chair), and Zambia (former Chair).
South Africa, a troop-contributing country to the SADC Mission in the DRC will also attend the virtual meeting alongsidethe Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The meeting will mark the second joint summit after President Ruto co-chaired a joint inaugural meeting in January following a resolution by the EAC Summit on January 26.
While DRC President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame had confirmed attendance, Tshisekedi skipped the meeting.
His Spokesperson Tina Salama later cited scheduling conflicts in a media response.
