Former Kenyan president, Uhuru Kenyatta, the Facilitator of the East African Community (EAC)-led Nairobi Peace Process on Thursday, April 13, met with the United Nations Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region, Huang Xia, to discuss the security crisis in eastern DR Congo.
In their discussions, Kenyatta emphasized that the situation in eastern DR Congo remains of grave concern, particularly concerning the humanitarian and security dimensions, a statement from the facilitator’s office said.
“In this regard, the facilitator stressed that the critical challenge has been building trust between the various fighting elements and governments, as well as the communities, especially those affected by the insecurity in the region.
“The issue of trust remains fundamental to resolving the challenge of security in the eastern DRC. Therefore, it was clear that the Nairobi Process would have to intensify its confidence-building actions. This would be one of key aims of the Facilitator’s work in the next few weeks, particularly as a build-up to the Nairobi IV Process.”
The two leaders met a day after the East African Community regional force foiled a militia attack in Kibumba, a town that was vacated by M23 rebels in December 2023.
Huang Xia emphasized “a growing concern” about the situation in the Great Lakes, especially the eastern DR Congo, even though there has been significant improvement since the commencement of the Nairobi Process, the statement said.
