Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has broken his silence on the escalating crisis in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
In a statement on Thursday, February 6, he emphasized that the Luanda and Nairobi processes offer the best path toward peace.
Uhuru further advised that direct bilateral negotiations between Rwanda and the DRC would be key to ending the crisis.
"The Nairobi Peace Process, though temporarily sidelined, remains a critical framework for dialogue and conflict resolution in the eastern DRC. The Facilitator remains committed to finding pathways to peace, in collaboration with the government of DRC, regional partners, and international stakeholders.
"The Facilitator is of the strong opinion and belief that the two processes of Luanda and Nairobi hold the greatest promise for a resolution and termination of the crisis in the eastern DRC. The two processes are complementary and interdependent. It is only through the close coordination of the bilateral negotiations between Rwanda and DRC and the Intra-Congolese Dialogue and Conferencing Process that this crisis can be brought to a fruitful conclusion," the statement read.
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Additionally, Uhuru, who served as a facilitator for the initiative, outlined its framework which was designed to bring together various stakeholders, including armed groups, political factions, civil society, and regional partners.
"The Nairobi Peace Process was structured around two key elements; political dialogue and military intervention. The political aspect focused on engaging all stakeholders including armed groups, political factions, civil society, and regional partners in an inclusive conversation aimed at resolving the conflict and fostering long-term peace.
"The military element involved the deployment of the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF) to provide peacekeeping and peace enforcement support, complementing the political dialogue efforts," the statement read.
According to Uhuru, diplomatic engagements throughout 2023 yielded positive developments, including reductions in hostilities and the withdrawal of armed groups from strategic locations in North Kivu.
He attributed the gains to extensive negotiations with key actors, including armed groups such as the M23 and several organizations.
"Progress through June 2023 was encouraging. Facilitator Kenyatta conducted extensive diplomatic engagements, meeting with political, civil, and military stakeholders across the region. Kenya's initiatives included multiple targeted discussions with armed groups including the M23, confidence-building measures with various civil rights and women groups, and the organization of several high-level conferences to resolve tensions and identify pathways to peace.
"These efforts, supported by the EACRF, UN, and MONUSCO led to a noticeable reduction in hostilities, a return of displaced persons, and significant withdrawals by armed groups from strategic areas in North Kivu," the statement added.
