Kenyan President William Ruto and Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa have reached an agreement to unify their peace processes for resolving the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This agreement was announced in a communiqué following a joint summit of the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) held on August 1 in Nairobi.

The countries agreed to merge the existing peace formats into a single process under the auspices of the African Union, EAC, and SADC.

"We have the opportunity, with international community support, to develop mechanisms for the final resolution of the conflict in eastern DRC," Ruto stated during a meeting with representatives from African countries and international mediators.

He explained that the process aims to involve all relevant parties in political dialogue, address the root causes of the conflict, and restore sustainable peace. Ruto emphasized that the initiative does not contradict other formats, such as the Doha and Washington processes.

President Mnangagwa called for honest and open participation in this peace effort. "In the spirit of Pan-African unity, we urge all sides to support our esteemed mediators and engage in constructive dialogue," he said.

The summit was attended by the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahamoud Ali Yusuf, and a group of African mediators, including former presidents Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, Catherine Samba-Panza of the Central African Republic, Sahle-Work Zewde of Ethiopia, and Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana.

The SADC peacekeeping mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC) is concluding its operations. In March, the organization announced the withdrawal of its forces, and in April, Rwanda agreed to allow the transit of peacekeepers through its territory. The chiefs of staff from Tanzania, South Africa, and Malawi inspected the withdrawal process in July.

In late January, M23 rebels captured the major city of Goma, but later, the DRC government reported that the city was partially under government control. On February 14, rebels occupied Bukavu in the South Kivu province, but the DRC armed forces restored control on February 15. However, on February 16, Kinshasa announced that the "army of Rwanda and its allies" had infiltrated Bukavu.