SADC, EAC Leaders Call for Immediate Ceasefire in the DRC

• Leaders in Eastern and Southern Africa are demanding an unconditional ceasefire in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
• The leaders have called for all parties involved in the conflict, including the M23 rebels, to meet and find a long-lasting solution
• This came after the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Eastern African Community (EAC) met to discuss solutions to end the conflict

Tebogo Mokwena, affiliated with Briefly News, provided local and international political analysis and interviews in South Africa for Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News during his nine years of experience.

DAR ES SALAM, TANZANIA — African leaders have called for an urgent and immediate ceasefire in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and have called on all parties involved in the conflict to sit down and find a long-lasting solution.

EAC-SADC Summit

President Cyril Ramaphosa attended the Joint Southern African Development Community (SADC) and East African Community (EAC) Summit in Dar es Salaam in Tanzania on 8 February 2025 to discuss how to bring an end to the conflict in the DRC. The presidents of Kenya, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, the DRC, South Africa, Somalia, Rwanda and other countries in Southern and Eastern Africa attended the summit.

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M23 rebels enter DRC's Bukavu as SA family fears for SANDF member who is hiding in the bushes

The Summit was concerned that the security in the DRC was deteriorating as a result of the war, which resulted in the loss of life in the DRC. According to Al-Jazeera, over 700 people died in Goma this past week during intense fighting between DRC forces and M23, which captured the City.

What did they conclude?

The Summit, according to a statement posted by the Presidency on the @PresidencyZA X account, called for an immediate ceasefire and cessation of hostilities. It also called for essential utilities and supply lines to be restored to send food supplies to conflict-ravaged areas. The Summit also called for the deceased to be repatriated to their home countries, the injured to be evacuated and the Goma Airport to be opened.

Read the X statements here:

What you need to know about the DRC conflict

• President Cyril Ramaphosa deployed 2900 members of the South African National Defence Forces (SANDF) as part of the peacekeeping mission to the DRC in January 2024
• One month later, two soldiers died when M23 rebels launched a mortar strike on an SANDF base
• 14 soldiers were killed in January 2025 after the M23 rebels ambushed the SANDF at the Goma Airport

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Ramaphosa officiates handover of remains of 14 SANDF soldiers killed in DRC: "You've come to rest"

South African presidency refutes Paul Kagame's claims

In a related article, Briefly News reported that the Presidency slammed claims Rwandan President Paul Kagame made against Cyril Ramaphosa. He said that Ramaphosa deployed the SANDF to protect his mineral interests.

The presidency said that the SANDF has been deployed on peacekeeping missions for decades and emphasised that the current deployment was part of a peacekeeping effort by SADC.

Source: Briefly News