The president of the Council of Togo, Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, acting as the African Union mediator for resolving the crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Great Lakes region, chaired a meeting in Lomé on Monday 8 June 2026. The session focused on a biannual review of activities under the African mediation, set against a backdrop of stalled diplomatic initiatives and ongoing hostilities between government forces and the AFC/M23 rebellion, which is backed by Rwanda.
The gathering brought together members of the College of Facilitators appointed by the African Union, along with representatives from the United Nations, the East African Community (EAC), the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
Held over two days on 7 and 8 June 2026, the meeting aimed to assess progress since the mediation architecture was established in Lomé on 17 January 2026, and to set priorities for the second half of the year, in support of the Washington and Doha processes led by the United States and Qatar respectively.
Strategic directions for the second half of 2026
According to the Togolese presidency’s communiqué, the evaluation meeting adopted several orientations, notably strengthening internal coordination among the Mediator’s Office, the Panel of Facilitators, the African Union Commission, and the independent joint secretariat.
Stakeholders also highlighted the need to structure and make available an African contribution to the complementary Washington and Doha processes, to enhance ownership, legitimacy, and implementation.
Participants called on all states and organisations involved in mediation efforts to reinforce cooperation in a spirit of solidarity, while respecting the responsibilities and mandates defined in the mediation architecture adopted in Lomé on 17 January 2026.
Immediate decisions
The meeting adopted several measures to boost the mediation process’s effectiveness. These include adjusting the work plans of the Panel of Facilitators for the second half of 2026, and developing, within 15 days, an operational action plan outlining how to implement the decisions taken.
“Driven by renewed collective will and a spirit of shared responsibility, participants committed to implementing the meeting’s decisions diligently and coherently, to honouring the commitments made, and to working together for lasting peace in eastern DRC and the Great Lakes region,” the Togolese presidency stated.
This latest meeting follows the high-level session on coherence and consolidation of the peace process in DRC, held on 16–17 January in Lomé, Togo. Initiated by Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, it aimed to strengthen trust between parties, advance dialogue, and ensure compliance with commitments by the various actors involved in the peace process.
That earlier gathering, which brought together a panel of facilitators comprising former heads of state, Togolese Foreign Minister Robert Dussey, representatives of the EAC and SADC, and several international partners, was part of the diplomatic efforts of recent months to stabilise eastern DRC.
At the conclusion of those talks, the African Union unveiled the architecture of its mediation for the peace process in eastern DRC. Under this framework, the mediation is placed under the authority of President Faure Gnassingbé, designated AU mediator. He is supported by a Togolese mediation support team comprising the foreign ministry and the presidency.
According to the same document, five co-facilitators, all former African heads of state, are responsible for specific themes. Former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo handles military and security affairs. Former Ethiopian president Sahle-Work Zewde is in charge of humanitarian issues. Former Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta oversees dialogue with local armed groups. Former Botswanan president Mokgweetsi Masisi addresses regional economic cooperation, while former Central African Republic transitional president Catherine Samba-Panza manages civil society, reconciliation, and gender issues.
The structure also includes an independent joint secretariat involving Togo, the AU, the EAC, SADC, and the ICGLR. The AU Commission ensures coordination with international partners, including the UN, Qatar, the European Union, and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, the document stated.
