Uhuru: Lack of political goodwill to blame for DRC crisis

Ex President Uhuru Kenyatta, who is the facilitator of the East African Community-led Nairobi peace talks. [File, Standard]

East African Community (EAC) peace envoy in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Uhuru Kenyatta has said that the 2023 elections in DR Congo and a lack of political goodwill undermined the entire peace effort.

Speaking on Thursday, February 6, Kenyatta stated that both M23 leaders and the DRC government stalled the dialogue, fueling the escalation of fighting in eastern DRC.

"The withdrawal of the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF) further slowed down the negotiations and this led to the resurgence of the fighting in the area," said a statement by his spokesperson Kanze Dena.

Kenyatta also pointed to a shift in political attention in the DRC toward the December 2023 national elections, which coincided with the planned 4th Intra-Congolese Dialogue Conference in June last year.

"This shift resulted in the slowing down of the Nairobi Peace Process. Unfortunately, at the same time, a political impasse resulted in the withdrawal of Kenyan forces from the EACRF," he explained.

Despite efforts to maintain dialogue, including consultations with DRC President Felix Tshisekedi and the M23 leadership, both the political and security landscapes in the country became increasingly unstable, he noted.

He further proposed negotiations between Rwanda and DRC, noting that we need African solutions to an African problem.

A joint summit of SADC and EAC Heads of State is scheduled to take place tomorrow and Saturday to identify solutions to resolve the ongoing conflict.

Both Kagame and Tshisekedi have confirmed attendance, even as M23 rebel forces continue to control key towns in eastern DRC.