AU to take over DRC peace process as Nairobi, Luanda talks merged

By Seth Olale, NAIROBI Kenya 

The pursuit of lasting peace and unity in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will henceforth be undertaken by the African Union (AU).

The meeting of the Co-Chairs of the Joint EAC-SADC Summit with the Panel of Facilitators was held State House, Nairobi, on August 1, 2025 to deliberate on the security situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo

Speaking during a meeting of the East Africa Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) co-chairs at State House Nairobi, President William Ruto—who was joined by former President Uhuru Kenyatta—announced that the Nairobi and Luanda-led peace processes have now been collapsed and will be undertaken by the AUC, which has been tasked to cooperate with the Washington and Doha peace accords.

"To this end, we call for the merger of the Nairobi and Luanda peace processes to address the instability in the DRC,” said Ruto.

"We appreciate the commitment made by both EACRF and SADC peacekeeping missions," President Emmerson Mnangagwa added.

This comes a day after the U.N. Joint Human Rights Office, which monitors the conflict in Eastern DRC, reported that an M23 rebel attack on farmers and other civilians killed 169 people on July 9, 2025.

The meeting resolved to formally end the Uhuru-led Nairobi peace processes as well as the Luanda peace initiative that was undertaken by Angolan President and AU Chair Joao Lourenço.

The African Union has been tasked with finding a lasting peace solution in the war-torn Eastern DRC.

"We will strive towards achieving lasting peace in Eastern DRC,” AU Chairperson Mohammoud Youssef Ali stated.

The meeting also resolved to have all immediate mobilisation, including for humanitarian support, centralised and coordinated by the AUC.

The AUC has also been tasked to convene a virtual extraordinary joint EAC and SADC summit within seven days to communicate the outcomes of the Nairobi meeting held at State House, Nairobi.

Nearly 3,000 people have been killed in the fighting between M23 militants and the DRC national army over control of the mineral-rich North Kivu province.