Uhuru Arrives in Rwanda For DRC Peace Talks

Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta on Friday, July 11, 2025, arrived in Kigali, Rwanda, to meet President Paul Kagame over the peace talks between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

In a statement from the presidency of Rwanda, the meeting between Uhuru and Kagame focused on achieving a lasting peace between the two countries.

“This afternoon at Urugwiro Village, President Kagame received former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, one of the EAC-SADC Facilitators for the Eastern DRC peace process. Their discussions focused on the ongoing efforts to achieve durable peace in Eastern DRC and address the root causes of the conflict,” the statement reads.

Complex peace talks

DRC and Rwanda are at the center of ongoing, complex peace talks, with both the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) playing significant, albeit sometimes overlapping, roles in mediation efforts.

While recent developments have seen a major peace agreement signed between the two nations, the path to lasting stability in the volatile Eastern DRC remains challenging, requiring sustained regional and international collaboration.

A significant breakthrough occurred on June 27, 2025, when the foreign ministers of the DRC and Rwanda signed a peace agreement in Washington, D.C., brokered by the United States and Qatar.

Nairobi Process

The accord aimed to cease hostilities, uphold territorial integrity, and halt support for non-state armed groups, particularly addressing the M23 rebel group, which Kinshasa accuses Rwanda of backing.

The EAC has been actively involved through its Nairobi Process, led by Uhuru, which led to the deployment of the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF) in November 2022 to eastern DRC.

The EACRF’s mandate included jointly planning operations with the Congolese military (FARDC) to defeat armed groups, maintaining law and order, supporting humanitarian efforts, and aiding disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration programs.

However, observers highlight that deep-rooted grievances, the involvement of numerous armed groups, and the lack of accountability for past atrocities continue to pose significant hurdles to a comprehensive and sustainable peace between the two countries.

A key outcome of the harmonized EAC-SADC approach has been the emphasis on direct negotiations with all state and non-state actors, including the M23.