The Foreign Affairs ministers of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community (EAC) are indeed set to meet in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Monday, March 17, 2025. This meeting is crucial as it aims to address the escalating crisis in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The ministers will discuss ways to restore peace and stability in the region, building on previous discussions from the February 8 Dar es Salaam summit. They’ll also review reports from the EAC-SADC Chiefs of Defence Forces/Staff and refine a political roadmap under the merged Luanda/Nairobi peace processes.
The meeting comes at a critical time, as violence in eastern DRC has intensified, resulting in over 7,000 deaths since January and displacing 450,000 people. The ministers will need to navigate complex regional dynamics, including differing approaches to the conflict and allegations of external involvement.