A diplomatic impasse occurred on Saturday during the high-stakes EAC-SADC summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, when African Union Commission (AUC) Chair Moussa Faki was asked to leave the closed-door session on the escalating crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo).
Announced by the masters of ceremonies, the closed-door session of the meeting held in the Tanzanian capital Dar es Salaam was only open with delegations of the two regional blocs.
Each delegation was only allowed to have 5+1 delegates in the room.
The summit, aimed at addressing the worsening security situation in eastern DR Congo, began smoothly with opening remarks from Kenya’s President William Ruto and Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa, the respective chairs of the East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC).
However, during the opening session, Faki’s name was notably absent from the list of dignitaries acknowledged by protocol, an unusual oversight considering his pivotal role in the ongoing peace efforts in the region.
Tensions flared shortly after the session commenced when the Master of Ceremony requested Faki’s departure, despite the AUC Chair’s initial invitation to attend the meeting.
Reliable sources indicate that Faki was invited to the high-level summit by President William Ruto, the current Chairperson of the EAC.
The incident immediately caught the attention of other leaders, including President Paul Kagame, who voiced concerns over the decision.
“Who made this misguided decision and why?” Kagame questioned, emphasizing that Faki, as the AUC Chair and a key figure in ongoing peace efforts in eastern DRC, should not have been excluded from the meeting.
According to sources at the summit, it was unclear who had issued the instruction for Faki to leave. “There was no justification,” one source added.
Recognizing the diplomatic misstep, summit organisers quickly sent a message to reinvite Faki to rejoin the closed-door session. However, by the time the invitation arrived, the damage had already been done.
“Nobody knows who gave that instruction and why it was reversed. But by then, Faki refused to return,” the source said.
A growing rift
Faki had been invited to the summit in his capacity as the AUC Chair and guarantor of both the Luanda Process and Nairobi Process, key peace initiatives in eastern DRC.
He had already participated in the opening ceremony and joined the regional leaders for the traditional family photo. The African Union plays a central role in peace efforts within the EAC and SADC regions, especially regarding the ongoing crisis in eastern DR Congo.
The incident raised concerns about the growing diplomatic rift and fragmented approaches between the African Union and regional organizations.
This confusion about Faki’s participation signals potential challenges in coordinating peace efforts for DR Congo.
