Ex-President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, is in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) capital Kinshasa, as part of a UN Security Council (UNSC) team assessing the security situation in the eastern region alongside President Antoine Felix Tshisekedi. The UN group arrived in the DRC on Friday in response to a deteriorating humanitarian crisis caused by M23 rebel activity and a failed regional ceasefire agreement.
As the facilitator of the Nairobi Process for the Restoration of Peace and Stability in DRC, spearheaded by the East African Community (EAC), Kenyatta is evaluating ways to manage the crisis and mitigate disruptions to peace efforts. In February, he convened an emergency meeting with EAC Technical Advisors to address the escalating security issues in eastern DRC, specifically in Ituri and North Kivu.
Kenyatta’s office revealed that the former president urged for calm and an immediate end to hostilities, while emphasizing the need for dialogue and consultation to foster trust between conflicting parties and alleviate the suffering of eastern DRC residents. Kenyatta’s office also reiterated his commitment to establishing peace in eastern DRC and appealed to regional leaders and the global community to support the EAC-led Nairobi Peace Process.