African leaders have called for regionally led initiatives to take precedence in efforts to resolve the ongoing crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, emphasizing that international processes should play a complementary role rather than lead mediation efforts.

The call was made on Sunday during a one-day regional summit held in Entebbe, Uganda, which brought together regional leaders and envoys to address the deteriorating security situation in eastern DRC and its broader implications for stability across the Great Lakes region.

Speaking after the meeting, Uganda’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, John Mulimba, said participants reached a consensus that African regional blocs should assume primary responsibility for peace efforts. He noted that both the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) were identified as the most appropriate mechanisms to spearhead mediation and conflict resolution initiatives.

“We have agreed that, whereas there are initiatives such as the Doha and Washington peace processes, the region must take centre stage,” Mulimba said, adding that EAC and SADC should coordinate efforts to address the escalating conflict.

Mulimba further stated that the summit resolved to revise its communiqué within 10 days, followed by a subsequent meeting within two weeks to incorporate proposals for a regional peace framework aimed at stabilising eastern DRC.

During the summit, Rwanda issued a statement asserting that the creation of additional peace mechanisms was unnecessary. Kigali argued that existing agreements and frameworks were sufficient, provided they were fully implemented.

Rwandan Minister of Interior Vincent Biruta said the central challenge was not the absence of peace initiatives, but rather the failure to enforce commitments already made. He identified the Washington accord and the Doha peace initiatives as the most viable frameworks for addressing both domestic and regional dimensions of the conflict.

Biruta also reiterated Rwanda’s long-standing concerns regarding the presence of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a dissident group linked to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. He warned that failure to address the group’s activities continued to undermine trust and posed a serious threat to regional security.

Earlier this month, Rwanda and the DRC signed a U.S.-brokered peace agreement in Washington intended to bring an end to decades of fighting. Despite the agreement, clashes have intensified in eastern DRC, with the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group advancing into new areas.

The M23 said this week it had begun withdrawing from Uvira, a strategic eastern Congolese city it captured days earlier, stating that the move was undertaken at the request of U.S. mediators as a confidence-building measure to support the peace process. | NNA TV+ / Xinhea News Agency