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Mukudzei Chingwere, Harare Bureau

SENIOR officials from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community (EAC) convened in Harare yesterday to prepare for today’s council of ministers meeting, which will focus on the escalating crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The meeting comes in the middle of heightened tensions following SADC’s recent decision to withdraw its troops from the conflict-ridden region, underscoring the urgency of diplomatic efforts to restore peace and stability.

Co-chaired by Zimbabwe’s Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ambassador Albert Chimbindi, and his Kenyan counterpart, Brigadier-General Edward Rugendo, the meeting aimed to address the worsening humanitarian situation in the Eastern DRC, particularly its impact on women and children.

Ambassador Chimbindi opened the session with a call for unity and commitment among member states.
“We convene today with a sense of urgency and regret that, despite our previous efforts, the situation continues to worsen, necessitating our collective action. Our meeting demonstrates our firm commitment to finding durable peace in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as part of our collective aspirations in achieving the Africa we want,” said Ambassador Chimbindi.

Senior officials from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community (EAC) convened in Harare yesterday

He stressed the need to implement directives from the recent EAC-SADC summit, which called for a comprehensive roadmap to peace. The officials reviewed a joint roadmap outlining immediate, medium, and long-term plans to address the crisis. The roadmap includes the establishment of a technical co-ordination mechanism to monitor the implementation of joint decisions, a critical step in addressing residual issues related to peace and security in the Eastern DRC.

“Our meeting will consider the EAC-SADC joint roadmap, which details immediate, medium, and long-term implementation plans for our mechanism,” said Ambassador Chimbindi.
Brigadier-General Rugendo highlighted the importance of learning from past interventions, including the involvement of the United Nations and the East African Community Regional Force.

“The situation in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has persisted for quite some time. Various interventions have taken place. The United Nations has been present for several years. The East African Community Regional Force was deployed for a year. SAMIDRC has been operational for the past year. We have all learned lessons from our successes and challenges,” said Brigadier-General Rugendo.

He stressed the need for an inclusive dialogue to address the root causes of the conflict, in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2773 of 2025, which emphasises that military solutions are not viable.
The discussions yesterday were critical in shaping outcomes of today’s council of ministers meeting. Both chairpersons emphasised the importance of collaboration and sustainable solutions.

“We cannot afford to fail our ministers. It is therefore important that we approach our engagement with open minds, a spirit of collaboration, and a firm resolve to advance sustainable solutions,” said Brigadier-General Rugendo.

With the Eastern DRC crisis posing a significant threat to regional stability and prosperity, today’s council of ministers meeting is expected to lay the groundwork for effective strategies to restore peace. The joint efforts of SADC and EAC underscore the importance of regional cooperation in addressing complex security challenges.