The East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) are set to hold a joint virtual Summit today, March 24, 2025, to discuss the ongoing security crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The meeting will be co-chaired by Kenyan President and EAC Chairperson, William Ruto, alongside Zimbabwean President and SADC Chairperson, Dr. Emmerson Mnangagwa.
The virtual summit follows a prior consultation between the two leaders in Windhoek, Namibia, where they agreed to convene this high-level meeting. The Summit will deliberate on a report presented during the Joint EAC-SADC Ministerial Meeting held on March 17, 2025, in Harare, Zimbabwe, which reviewed the progress of resolutions adopted in February in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
SADC representation will include its “Double Troika” Member States: Zimbabwe (Chair), Angola (former Chair), and Madagascar (incoming Chair). Additionally, the three countries leading the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security Affairs Tanzania (Chair), Malawi (incoming Chair), and Zambia (former Chair) will participate. South Africa, as a troop-contributing country to the SADC mission in the DRC, will also be involved, alongside the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In a statement on his X handle, President Ruto reaffirmed the commitment of EAC and SADC to implementing resolutions from the February summit and addressing the crisis in Eastern DRC. “Our primary focus is to address the crisis and deliver lasting peace,” he stated.
Kenya’s Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Cabinet Secretary, Musalia Mudavadi, who co-chaired the joint ministerial meeting in Harare, underscored the urgency of bringing all parties to the negotiation table. He stressed that dialogue remains the most viable path to sustainable peace and warned against the continued humanitarian toll caused by illegal armed groups.
Beyond security, Presidents Ruto and Mnangagwa emphasized the need for stronger regional integration and economic cooperation. They pledged to enhance trade through the Tripartite Free Trade Agreement, which unites EAC, SADC, and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), as well as advancing the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement.
The summit is expected to solidify commitments and chart the way forward for a collaborative African-led solution to the DRC crisis.
