GODAZA URGES HICHILEMA TO INTERVENE TO PREVENT WAR IN DRC

The Governance and Development Advocates Zambia (GODAZA) has formally called upon President Hakainde Hichilema to step up diplomatic efforts and use his regional stature to help avert a full-scale war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Amid escalating hostilities in the eastern provinces of the neighbouring nation, civil society organizations within Zambia are increasingly anxious about the humanitarian toll and the broader geopolitical fallout across the Central and Southern African regions. GODAZA Executive Director Elias Mulenga highlighted that the deteriorating security situation poses an immediate threat not only to Congolese civilians but also to regional stability. Zambia shares an extensive porous border with the DRC, making it acutely vulnerable to refugee influxes, cross-border security spillovers, and disruptions to vital trade corridors. Economic analysts note that bilateral trade volumes between Lusaka and Kinshasa risk severe contraction if armed conflict continues to choke critical transit routes. Furthermore, the ongoing strife threatens long-term cooperative frameworks, including joint economic ventures in critical mineral supply chains necessary for the global green energy transition. Zambia and the DRC have previously explored avenues to cooperate on value addition for minerals like cobalt and copper, a vision that could be severely derailed by persistent regional warfare. Civil society voices argue that President Hichilema, given his respected diplomatic posture and current multilateral engagements, is well-positioned to rally regional bodies such as the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) toward constructive dialogue. While official state policy has traditionally favoured quiet diplomacy and multilateral mediation frameworks, pressure is mounting from various domestic stakeholders for a more assertive Zambian footprint in regional peace-building. Oppo