Retired Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta arrived in Kigali, Rwanda, on July 11, 2025, to meet with President Paul Kagame and discuss ongoing peace efforts between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
According to a statement from the Rwandan presidency, the meeting focused on finding lasting peace and addressing the root causes of the conflict in eastern DRC.
“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 read.
Both Rwanda and the DRC are at the center of complex peace talks, with the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) playing important roles in mediation. While progress has been made, especially after the June 27 peace deal signed in Washington, many challenges remain.
That June agreement, signed by the foreign ministers of the DRC and Rwanda, was brokered by the United States and Qatar. It called for an immediate ceasefire, respect for each country’s borders, and an end to support for armed groups—especially the M23 rebels, whom Kinshasa accuses Rwanda of supporting.
Uhuru Kenyatta, as one of the facilitators appointed under the EAC’s Nairobi Process, has been actively involved in peacebuilding efforts. In November 2022, the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF) was deployed to eastern DRC.
The EACRF worked closely with the Congolese army (FARDC) to conduct joint operations against rebel groups, maintain law and order, support humanitarian missions, and oversee disarmament and reintegration programs.
However, experts note that deep-rooted ethnic tensions, the presence of many armed groups, and past human rights abuses remain major challenges to achieving long-term peace.
A major goal of the joint EAC-SADC effort has been to bring all parties—including the M23 and other non-state groups—into direct peace talks.
The meeting between Uhuru and Kagame marks another important step in the region’s push for stability in the Great Lakes region.
