Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Ambassador Samwel William Shelukindo, has commended the success of the first-ever Joint Summit of Heads of State from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community (EAC), held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania early February 2025. The historic summit aimed to unify peace efforts in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) through the Luanda and Nairobi peace processes.
Ambassador Shelukindo made the remarks during the official opening of the 27th Ordinary Meeting of the SADC Ministerial Committee of the Organ (MCO) on Politics, Defence, and Security Cooperation, held at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre (JNICC) in Dar es Salaam.
The SADC ministerial meeting is preceded by sessions of permanent secretaries and senior officials from member states responsible for defence, security, and foreign affairs, which will take place on July 21 and 22, followed by ministerial segments on July 24 and 25.
Ambassador Shelukindo described the joint summit held in February 2025 as a beacon of hope in the pursuit of a political and diplomatic solution to the protracted DRC crisis. He underscored the need for regional solidarity in addressing transnational threats such as organized crime, cybercrime, human trafficking, and drug trafficking.
He called on SADC member states to maintain unity, solidarity, and strategic coordination in responding to security threats and evolving geopolitical dynamics to ensure lasting peace, security, and stability in the region.
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“It is crucial that we strengthen coordination and cooperation at the regional, continental, and international levels to ensure our efforts are effective, cost-efficient, well-organized, and strategic. Uncoordinated actions can undermine the progress achieved through initiatives like the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) and the SADC Vision 2050,” said Ambassador Shelukindo.
Tanzania hosted the Joint SADC-EAC Summit in February 2025 in response to escalating conflict in eastern DRC involving rebel groups and the DRC government troops. The summit aimed to harmonize peace efforts under the EAC and SADC frameworks and was widely lauded as a strong demonstration of the principle of “African solutions to African problems.”
However, both the Luanda and Nairobi processes have since lost momentum, particularly as international attention shifts to peace initiatives led by Qatar and Washington. Notably, the DRC and Rwanda recently signed a peace agreement under the supervision of former U.S. President Donald Trump.
