The former President of Federal Republic of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo will be joining a team of African leaders to end hostilities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Also included in the team are former President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta and Hailemariam Desalegn, the ex-Ethiopian prime minister.
It will be recalled that a joint summit of leaders of the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) appointed the leaders for the peace move, merging two processes that have struggled to end the conflict.
The Luanda process, mediated by Angolan President Joao Lourenco, was meant to address tensions between Rwanda and the DRC.
While Nairobi process under Kenyatta was meant to facilitate dialogue between armed groups and the DRC government under President Felix Tshisekedi. But both processes achieved little success.
In a joint statement issued by Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, chairperson of SADC, and Kenya’s President William Ruto, chairman of the EAC, said warring sides in the DRC Congo are now required to cease fire and attend peace talks when called upon.
Previous ceasefire calls have been ignored as the M23 rebels continue to advance into the country, meeting little resistance from the Congolese army.