Gaborone, Botswana – February 26, 2025: The Executive Secretary of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Elias Magosi, met with U.S. Ambassador to Botswana, Howard Van Vranken, to discuss efforts to address the crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The meeting at the SADC Secretariat in Gaborone focused on diplomatic interventions and humanitarian concerns in the conflict-hit eastern DRC. Van Vranken was accompanied by Mballe Nkembe, Political and Economic Officer at the U.S. Embassy.
Magosi briefed the ambassador on the situation in eastern DRC, stressing the need for all parties to engage in negotiations through established diplomatic channels. He said SADC, in collaboration with the African Union and the United Nations, is working to mediate and find solutions to the violence.
He also raised concerns over the worsening humanitarian crisis, which has displaced millions. He called for international support to ease suffering and restore stability.
Van Vranken said the U.S. government wants the DRC and Rwanda to return to negotiations to resolve the conflict and reaffirmed Washington’s support for peace efforts.
