Kinshasa: African countries have appointed ex-Ethiopia Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, ex-Kenya president Uhuru Kenyatta, and ex-Nigeria president Olusegun Obasanjo as "facilitators" of a new peace process in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Meanwhile, an International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor arrived Tuesday to investigate the upsurge in violence.According to Ethiopian News Agency, the M23 rebel group has recently seized two major cities in eastern DRC, giving the armed group a significant foothold in the region since taking up arms again in late 2021. This development marks the latest outbreak of violence in the mineral-rich region that has experienced around three decades of unrest and war, claiming millions of lives."We are extremely worried about recent developments in Congo, we know the situation particularly in the east is acute," ICC prosecutor Karim Khan expressed to reporters upon his arrival in the capital, Kinshasa. Two regional African blocs, the East African Community (EAC ) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), have united in recent weeks to attempt to establish a ceasefire.The EAC and SADC announced late Monday that ex-Kenya president Uhuru Kenyatta, ex-Ethiopia Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, and ex-Nigeria president Olusegun Obasanjo had been appointed as "facilitators" of the new peace process. During a summit on February 8, the EAC and SADC agreed to merge two separate peace processes based in Luanda and Nairobi that were operational before the latest escalation of violence.The statement from EAC and SADC highlighted their primary objectives as achieving an "immediate and unconditional ceasefire," facilitating humanitarian supplies, and ensuring the securitisation of Goma airport. They also announced plans for a ministerial meeting on Friday to "work on the details of the ceasefire."DRC Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka stated on Monday that "more than 7,000" people have been killed in the region since January, though these figures could not be independently verified.
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