Kenya's National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula says lasting solutions to the Congo crisis should be home-grown, based on proposals from the region.
In Nairobi, Wetang'ula met with former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, one of the five facilitators of the peace dialogue in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Mr Wetang'ula, a former foreign minister in Mwai Kibaki's government, said his experience was that African-led solutions to conflicts in the region were more viable and argued that the DRC could benefit.
He said home-grown diplomacy, underpinned by historical understanding and shared commitment, was key to unlocking the region's full potential.
"I commend the sustained and reinvigorated diplomatic efforts of African leaders. It is only through high-level mediation and collective political will that we can secure lasting peace and development for our people," said Wetang'ula.
Obasanjo will join former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, former Presidents Kgalema Motlanthe (South Africa), Sahle-Work Zewde (Ethiopia) and Catherine Samba-Panza (Central African Republic) in a joint panel to facilitate dialogue on the DRC.
Their terms of reference have not yet been announced, but they are expected to help ease tensions between Rwanda and the DRC, as well as help end hostilities between the M23 rebel group and the Congolese government.
The five will work under the auspices of the African Union, but with the direct support of regional blocs; the East African Community and the Southern African Development Community.
Wetang'ula says that previous failed peace offers for the Congo reflect the need for local solutions to be at the forefront.
"As foreign minister, I worked with the late former Tanzanian president Benjamin Mkapa on the Congo conflict in 2009. The same problem persists 14 years later," Wetang'ula noted.
Obasanjo's high-level engagement comes at a time when regional peace remains fragile and there are growing calls for increased cooperation, humanitarian assistance and continental solidarity.
During the meeting, Obasanjo reflected on his decades-long commitment to peace and dialogue in Africa, recalling his involvement in similar mediation efforts dating back to the 1960s.
"It was the same problem we are dealing with now. We have to find a solution," he said.
