The regional blocs of Eastern and Southern Africa have appointed former leaders from Kenya, Ethiopia and Nigeria to oversee the peace process in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), at a time when fighting is intensifying in the east of the country.

The East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have joined forces in recent weeks in an attempt to bring peace to eastern DRC, where the Rwandan-backed M23 armed group already dominates large swathes of territory, triggering a humanitarian crisis.

At the end of Monday (24.02), the two blocs issued a communiqué in which they said they had appointed the former President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, the former Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Hailemariam Desalegn, and the former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, as "facilitators" of this new peace process.

The declaration states that the main objectives include an "immediate and unconditional ceasefire", as well as the provision of humanitarian aid and the security of Goma airport, one of the main towns taken by M23. The two blocs will hold a ministerial meeting on Friday (28.02) to "work out the details of the ceasefire". (DW)