Progress in structuring the African mediation for peace in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has been welcomed. That is a key takeaway from the technical session of the semiannual evaluation meeting of the peace process, held from 7 to 8 June 2026 in Lomé, at the initiative of the President of the Council of Togo, Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, the African Union mediator for resolving the crisis in eastern DRC and the Great Lakes region.
Following the ministerial stage led earlier by the Minister for Cooperation and Togolese Abroad, Yackoley Johnson, President of the Council Faure Gnassingbé chaired a meeting on Monday 8 June in Lomé dedicated to the semiannual assessment of activities carried out under the African mediation.
The diplomatic gathering brought together, around the Togolese mediation, members of the College of Facilitators appointed by the African Union, as well as representatives of the United Nations, the East African Community, the Economic Community of Central African States, the Southern African Development Community, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
According to the Togolese Presidency, Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé welcomed the presence of facilitators, regional organisations and international partners at this evaluation meeting, stating that it demonstrates their ongoing commitment to peace, stability and development in the Great Lakes region.
The AU mediator particularly noted progress achieved since the Lomé meeting on coherence and consolidation of various peace initiatives in DRC and the Great Lakes region. In his view, these advances represent an important step toward better coordination of diplomatic and political efforts for a sustainable solution to the crisis affecting eastern DRC.
“We have crossed an important milestone since January by bringing more order to the architecture of African mediation. I am convinced this meeting marks significant progress in improving our collective action and in finding lasting solutions to this crisis,” declared the African Union mediator.
Mr. Gnassingbé stressed the need to continue efforts to further strengthen coherence, complementarity and coordination among the various mediation mechanisms involved in the peace process in this part of the continent. He insisted on the importance of maintaining a sustained collective mobilization for stability, peace and security in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
For him, only concerted action by regional, continental and international actors will consolidate the gains made and foster the emergence of lasting peace in the Great Lakes region.
“We will continue this mission with humility, determination and perseverance. Despite the difficulties, we also see many willing partners ready to support us in this search for peace,” he noted.
This new meeting follows the high-level meeting on coherence and consolidation of the peace process in the Democratic Republic of Congo, held on 16 and 17 January in Lomé, Togo. Initiated by Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, President of the Council of Ministers of the Togolese Republic and lead mediator designated by the African Union for eastern DRC, that meeting aimed to strengthen trust among parties, advance dialogue and ensure respect for commitments made by various actors involved in the peace process.
That initiative, which brought together around the same table a panel of facilitators composed of former heads of state, Togolese Foreign Minister Robert Dussey, representatives of the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), as well as several international partners, was part of the diplomatic efforts undertaken in recent months for stability in eastern DRC.
At the conclusion of those talks, the African Union unveiled the architecture of its mediation for the peace process in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. According to that framework, the mediation is placed under the authority of Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé, designated AU mediator. He is supported by a Togolese mediation support team comprising the Togolese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Presidency of the Republic.
According to the same document, five co-facilitators, all former African heads of state, are responsible for specific thematic areas. Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo handles military and security matters. Former Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde is in charge of humanitarian issues. Former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta oversees dialogue with local armed groups. Former Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi is responsible for regional economic cooperation, while former Central African Republic transitional President Catherine Samba-Panza leads files related to civil society, reconciliation and gender issues.
The mechanism also includes an independent joint secretariat involving Togo, the African Union, the East African Community, the Southern African Development Community and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR). The African Union Commission, for its part, ensures coordination with international partners, including the United Nations, Qatar, the European Union and the Group of five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, the document specified.
