African leaders back peace process for eastern DR Congo
The developments were announced on Thursday in a communique following a virtual extraordinary joint summit the previous day of the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The summit, which was co-chaired by Kenyan President and EAC Chairperson William Ruto and Zimbabwean President and SADC Chairperson Emmerson Mnangagwa, called for the immediate mobilisation of resources, including for humanitarian support, to be centralised and coordinated by the African Union Commission (AUC).
'The AUC will work with all other ongoing initiatives and stakeholders and inform them on the alignment of the African-led process.
'The joint extraordinary summit endorsed the terms of reference for the African Union (AU) mediator and the EAC–SADC panel of facilitators' consolidated African-led process and called for the AUC to endorse and lead its implementation,' the communique said in part.
It said the summit commended efforts by Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame for embracing the route of dialogue to address the conflict between the Congolese army and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, which intensified in early 2025.
Joining Masisi on the panel of facilitators are former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, former South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, former Central African Republic (CAR) President Catherine Samba-Panza, and former Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde. — BERNAMA-ANADOLU
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
10 hours ago
- The Sun
Washington sues Trump over federal police takeover bid
WASHINGTON: The District of Columbia has filed a lawsuit against former President Donald Trump over his attempt to take control of the city's police department. The legal action marks a sharp escalation in the power struggle between Trump and Washington's local leadership. District Attorney General Brian Schwalb initiated the lawsuit hours after the Trump administration appointed DEA chief Terry Cole as emergency police commissioner. Schwalb argued that Trump's move violates the law and seeks a judicial ruling to block the federal takeover. During an emergency hearing, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes questioned the legality of Trump's actions. Reyes pressed a Justice Department lawyer, asking, 'On what basis can the president assert control over the police department?' White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson defended the move, calling it necessary due to 'failed leadership' in the capital. Trump had earlier deployed National Guard troops and announced the temporary takeover of the police force, citing a crime emergency. Federal agencies, including the FBI and DEA, have increased patrols and arrests in Washington. Attorney General Pam Bondi issued an order transferring police control from the city to Cole. The lawsuit names Trump, Bondi, and Cole as defendants, deepening tensions between federal and local officials. Bondi's order requires city officials to seek Cole's approval before issuing directives to the police force. It also revoked prior police policies, including those on federal immigration enforcement. Schwalb called the federal intervention the 'gravest threat to Home Rule DC has ever faced.' The 1973 D.C. Home Rule Act grants the president limited emergency powers over the police for up to 30 days. Legal experts argue Trump has overstepped his authority under the act. Syracuse University professor Williams Banks said the case presents 'very solid arguments' against Trump's actions. Banks noted the unprecedented nature of the dispute, stating, 'There's no playbook for this.' The lawsuit highlights broader tensions over federal intervention in local governance. Trump has suggested similar takeovers in other Democratic-led cities, testing constitutional limits. The Justice Department has not yet commented on the lawsuit. The case could set a significant legal precedent on presidential powers and local autonomy. - Reuters
The Star
17 hours ago
- The Star
Portugal protests expulsion of reporters from Guinea-Bissau before election
LISBON (Reuters) -Portugal's government on Friday condemned the expulsion of reporting teams of state news agency Lusa and two African units of broadcaster RTP from Guinea-Bissau in the run-up to a postponed election scheduled to be held in November in the West African country. The Foreign Ministry said in a statement it had "immediately summoned the ambassador of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau in Lisbon for explanations and clarifications" for a meeting that will take place on Saturday. "The Portuguese government strongly condemns the decision of the government of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau to order the removal of Lusa, RTP Africa, and RDP Africa from that country and their respective termination of broadcasts," it said, calling the move "highly reprehensible and unjustifiable". No explanations for the move were provided by either Guinea-Bissau, which announced the expulsion in a government decree earlier on Friday, or Portugal. The representatives of the media outlets have until August 19 to leave the country. Guinea-Bissau's President Umaro Sissoco Embalo said in March he would run for a second term, backtracking on earlier promises to step down and stoking tensions over postponed elections, with his opponents saying that his term expired in February. A dispute over when Embalo's presidential term, which began in 2020, should end has heightened tensions that risk unrest in the former Portuguese colony with a history of military coups. On August 7, Embalo, a former army general, appointed by decree a new prime minister, Braima Camara - the third premier since Embalo took office in 2020 - replacing Rui Duarte de Barros. In March, a political mission of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS), deployed to help reach a consensus on how to conduct the election, said it had to leave "following threats by H.E. Umaro Sissoco Embalo to expel it". The presidential and legislative elections are scheduled to be held on November 23. (Reporting by Andrei Khalip in Lisbon and Alberto Dabo in Bissau; Editing by Paul Simao)
Barnama
17 hours ago
- Barnama
APEC Preparation Meeting Approves Seoul-Led Action Plan For Development
SEOUL, Aug 15 (Bernama-Yonhap) -- A Seoul-led action plan for the capacity building of developing economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) was approved at a meeting of senior APEC officials held to prepare the upcoming APEC summit in South Korea, the South Korean Foreign Ministry said on Friday. According to Yonhap News Agency, the five-step Capacity Building Need Initiative (CBNI) for developing APEC economies was endorsed at the APEC 2025 Korea Third Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM3), held in Incheon, about 40 kilometres west of Seoul. The two-day SOM3 brought together some 5,800 officials from 21 APEC member economies, delegations from observers and the secretariat to discuss a road map on strengthening the service competitiveness of the Asia-Pacific region and improving the environment for business and trade as well as devising a new financial action plan for APEC.
