Sundaymail Editor
Online Reporter
SADC and East African Community (EAC) Heads of State and Government have appointed a five-member panel of eminent African leaders to lead the process of finding a solution to the conflict in east Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The decision was made during a virtual summit held on Monday evening.
The panel comprises former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, former South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, former Central African Republic President Catherine Samba Panza and former Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde.
According to the summit’s communique, the selection of the facilitators considered regional, gender and linguistic inclusivity.
Their mandate includes spearheading diplomatic efforts to end conflict in eastern DRC, engaging relevant stakeholders and supporting the implementation of peace initiatives endorsed by the African Union and the United Nations.
In addition to appointing the facilitators, the summit directed its co-chairs — President Mnangagwa, who chairs SADC, and his Kenyan counterpart, William Ruto, who chairs the EAC — to convene a briefing session within seven days to outline the panel’s terms of reference.
Also, the SADC and EAC secretariats have been tasked with informing the facilitators of their appointment and conveying the summit’s outcomes to the African Union and the UN.
Tinaye Agere
Online Reporter