Defense chiefs from the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) convened in Dar es Salaam on Sunday to discuss strategies for addressing the worsening security crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Ex-presidents Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria and former Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn of Ethiopia to lead regional peace efforts - Anadolu Ajansı

Creating sustainable peace in Congo requires giving justice to the victims of war crimes and preventing the illicit trade in minerals.

M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo have captured the eastern city of Bukavu with the backing of Rwandan forces, the second major city in the mineral-rich Kivu region to fall in three weeks.

Chiefs of defence forces or nominated representatives from 13 African countries across two regional economic communities (RECs) agree any short, medium, and long term steps to resolve the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) “situation” are dependent on successful political engagement.

As Rwanda-backed rebels strolled through the streets of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's second-largest city, President Felix Tshisekedi's office claimed it was actually still controlled by his army and "valiant" allied forces.

The decision on facilitators is both a compromise and meant to address the trust deficit that has existed in the last one year.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has requested an emergency session of the UN Human Rights Council to address the worsening situation in Go

The East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have appointed former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn and former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo as peace facilitators for the newly merged EAC-SADC peace process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

In their deliberations, the summit officials urged the DRC government to make concerted efforts to protect civilians and properties, underscoring the importance of adhering to peace

The Nairobi Process, backed by the EAC and led by former President Uhuru Kenyatta, seeks to unite eastern DRC armed groups and the government to resolve war-related grievances.

The M23 rebels and their allies have plunged the vital city of Goma into chaos, COMECE said, resulting in nearly 3,000 deaths and the displacement of hundreds of thousands in recent weeks, according to the figures provided by the United Nations.