President Paul Kagame meets with a delegation of members of the African Union Panel of Facilitators for the peace process in eastern DRC, October 7, 2026. /PAUL KAGAME/XFormer President Uhuru Kenyatta has held talks with Rwanda President Paul Kagame as efforts to find a lasting solution to the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continue.
Uhuru was part of a delegation of members of the African Union Panel of Facilitators that met Kagame at Urugwiro Village in Kigali on Wednesday.
The delegation included former Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde, former Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi and Togo’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Yackoley Kokou Johnson.
Kagame said the discussions focused on the AU-led peace process and the next steps towards achieving lasting peace and stability in eastern DRC.
“Their discussions focused on the AU-led peace process and next steps towards achieving lasting peace and stability in eastern DRC, including addressing the root causes of the conflict,” Kagame said in a statement posted after the meeting.
Uhuru, who serves as the facilitator of the East African Community-led Nairobi Process for peace and stability in the DRC, has played a central role in regional efforts to end the conflict in the eastern part of the country.
Under the Nairobi Process, he has been involved in political dialogue and stakeholder engagements between the Congolese government and various armed groups, including the M23 and the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC).
The Nairobi Process is among several regional and continental initiatives seeking to address the longstanding conflict, which has continued despite successive peace agreements and political transitions.
The conflict in eastern DRC has roots stretching back more than three decades, including the aftermath of the 1994 Rwandan genocide and the First Congo War that began in 1996.
Eastern DRC has remained volatile, with armed groups including M23, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) and CODECO involved in violence and territorial disputes.
The region is also rich in minerals such as coltan, gold, tin and copper, with armed groups and other actors accused of exploiting natural resources to finance their activities.
Ethnic tensions, security concerns and competing accusations between Rwanda and the DRC have further complicated efforts to end the fighting.
Rwanda has repeatedly faced accusations over its alleged support for M23, while Kigali has accused the DRC of working with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), an armed group with links to forces responsible for the 1994 genocide.
Both sides have denied or disputed the allegations.
The latest meeting comes as regional and continental efforts continue to find lasting peace and address the underlying political, security and economic factors driving the instability in eastern DRC.
