In a renewed diplomatic push to stabilize the volatile Great Lakes region, Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Musalia Mudavadi, is rallying international allies, including the United States and Qatar, to solidify the Luanda-Nairobi peace framework amid signs of de-escalation in the long-standing tensions between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Speaking during high-level bilateral meetings with envoys from Washington and Doha, Mudavadi emphasized Kenya’s unwavering commitment to peacebuilding, regional security, and inclusive dialogue in the troubled eastern DRC.
His engagements come at a critical moment as the military standoff between Congolese forces and the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group shows early signs of subsiding following months of mediation under the African Union and regional blocs.
“The Luanda and Nairobi processes must not only be safeguarded but also strengthened through international support and accountability mechanisms,” Mudavadi told reporters after a closed-door session in Nairobi. “We urge our global partners to match their words with action in supporting regional-led peace frameworks that prioritize dialogue, humanitarian access, and the withdrawal of armed groups.”
The Luanda-Nairobi peace initiative, spearheaded by Angola and Kenya respectively, has provided parallel diplomatic tracks to address the root causes of the conflict, chiefly allegations of Rwanda’s support for rebels and the DRC’s failure to demobilize armed militias operating along its eastern frontier.
Mudavadi’s diplomatic overtures have earned praise from stakeholders who see Kenya as a neutral mediator with longstanding ties to both Kigali and Kinshasa. Washington and Doha, for their part, have expressed readiness to provide logistical, financial, and diplomatic backing to reinvigorate the peace plan.
As humanitarian conditions remain dire in eastern Congo, Mudavadi’s move signals Kenya’s evolving role as a stabilizing force in African geopolitics, where homegrown solutions, backed by trusted global allies, may hold the key to lasting peace.
