The details of the Joint Meeting of the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Ministers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, that was held on Friday, February 7, 202, to deliberate on the security situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), have emerged.

The Joint Meeting of Ministers was co-chaired by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and Prof. Amon Murwira, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of the Republic of Zimbabwe, who is the Chairperson of the SADC Council of Ministers.

According to a statement shared by the State Department for Foreign Affairs via X on Saturday, February 8, 2025, the Joint Meeting agreed on various recommendations for consideration by the Joint Summit.

Recommendations

Among the recommendations agreed on for immediate implementation is the cessation of hostilities and unconditional ceasefire, which must be respected by all state and non-state parties to be monitored by the Joint EAC-SADC Chiefs of Defence.

Reopening of Goma Airport and main supply routes for the delivery of humanitarian assistance was also considered as a recommendation that should be implemented immediately.

The meeting also agreed to develop a securitization plan for Goma and surrounding areas, immediately repatriate the remains of the deceased and the injured, and implement confidence-building measures, including state and non-state parties unconditionally committing to inclusive dialogue as the means of addressing the conflict in eastern DRC.

Other recommendations for immediate implementation are urgently resume the Nairobi Process and enhance structural coordination and complementarity with the Luanda process and including the immediate, implementation of the Concept of Operations (CONops) of the harmonized plan for the neutralization of FDLR and the lifting of Rwanda’s Defensive Measures/ disengagement of forces from DRC; and engagement in dialogue with non-state parties including the M23 rebels, commitment to respect the sanctity of the territorial integrity of DRC and neighboring countries, facilitate delivery of humanitarian assistance through mobilization of humanitarian and relief service providers, and discourage inflammatory rhetoric and other actions in the region that cause cleavages among communities.

“The Joint Meeting of Ministers deliberated on the security situation in eastern DRC and agreed on the following decisions/recommendations for consideration by the Joint Summit.
For immediate implementation: (i) Cessation of hostilities and unconditional ceasefire, which must be respected by all state and non-state parties to be monitored by the Joint EAC-SADC Chiefs of Defence; (ii) Reopening of Goma Airport and main supply routes for the delivery of humanitarian assistance; (iii) Development of a securitization plan for Goma and surrounding areas; (iv) Immediate repatriation of the remains of the deceased and the injured,” the statement read in part.

OUTCOMES OF THE JOINT MEETING OF EAC-SADC MINISTERS pic.twitter.com/hjg9sDjcUU

— State Department for Foreign Affairs | Kenya (@ForeignOfficeKE) February 8, 2025

Medium-term recommendations

The medium-term recommendations that were agreed upon at the meeting are: commence a comprehensive search for solutions to the underlying causes of the conflict through political dialogue, develop and implement modalities for the withdrawal of uninvited foreign armed forces from the territory of the DRC, and establish a Joint EAC-SADC political and security technical team to coordinate the implementation of the decisions of Joint Meetings.

Long-term

It was agreed that an elaborate roadmap detailing immediate, medium, and long-term implementation measures, including modalities of financing, be developed by the SADC-EAC political and security technical team and presented to the Joint Ministerial Meeting for consideration and approval within 30 days.