Nairobi — Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has defended the Nairobi Peace Process on the Democratic Republic of Congo which he described as "temporarily sidelined", attributing its slow progress to a lack of political momentum.
Kenyatta who confirmed submitting a report to the EAC, SADC and AU ahead of a joint EAC-SADC Summit on Saturdya said that despite diplomatic engagements involving political, civil, and military stakeholders across the region, including the M23, the shift in political attention due to the December 2023 elections greatly hindered the progress they had made in resolving the stalemate.
He noted that the withdrawal of the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF) further slowed down negotiations, leading to the resurgence of fighting in eastern DRC.
"The suspension disrupted the momentum of the peace process, leading to a slowdown in peace negotiations, a breakdown in military cooperation, and ultimately, a resurgence of fighting in the region," Kenyatta said in statement on Thursday.
"Despite efforts to maintain dialogue, including consultations between the Facilitator, President Tshisekedi of DRC, and the M23 leadership, the political and security landscape in the DRC became increasingly unstable."
Kenyatta emphasized that the Nairobi Peace Process remains a critical framework for dialogue and conflict resolution in eastern DRC.
He reaffirmed his commitment to finding pathways to peace in collaboration with the government of DRC, regional partners, and international stakeholders.
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"The Facilitator strongly believes that the Luanda and Nairobi processes hold the greatest promise for resolving and ultimately ending the crisis in eastern DRC," the statement read.
'Uhuru Process'
Kenyatta's statement comes a week after Rwanda's President Paul Kagame, who has been accused of distabilising DRC, expressed dismay over the Nairobi Process which he said had become an "Uhuru Process".
He faulted both Nairobi and Luanda Processes, which he said "became an end in themselves, and the people leading these processes became more important than the results of the processes."
"The Nairobi Process became an Uhuru Process, the Luanda Process is like you cannot say anything that will displease President Lourenço," he said, referring to Kenyatta and Angola's President João Lourenço.
The EAC-led Nairobi Process is a regional peace initiative aimed at resolving the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Kenyatta's assessment comes amid heightened regional efforts following M23's take over of Goma city amid a worsening humanitarian situation.
