Faure Gnassingbé reaffirms commitment to peace in eastern DRC
Faure Gnassingbé, President of the Council of Ministers of Togo and African Union (UA) mediator for the crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Great Lakes region, chaired a high-level meeting in Lomé on Monday. The session was dedicated to the semi-annual review of activities carried out under the African mediation framework, according to an official statement.
The strategic meeting brought together UA facilitators, delegates from international partners including the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross, as well as representatives from regional organisations such as the East African Community, the Economic Community of Central African States, the Southern African Development Community, and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region.
Gnassingbé praised progress made in structuring the African mediation, particularly advancements since the previous Lomé meeting focused on coherence and consolidation of the peace process in the DRC and the region.
“We have taken an important step since January by bringing more order to the architecture of African mediation,” he stated. “I am convinced that this meeting marks a significant advance in improving our collective action and in finding sustainable solutions to this crisis,” he added.
Beyond these achievements, the mediator stressed the need to continue efforts to further strengthen coherence and coordination among the various mediation mechanisms involved in the peace process in this part of the continent, as noted in the statement.
Reaffirming his commitment to the mission entrusted by the UA, Gnassingbé called for sustained collective mobilisation in favour of stability in the DRC. “We will continue this mission with humility, determination, and perseverance. Despite the challenges, we also see many willing partners ready to support us in this search for peace,” he emphasised.
To maintain the momentum initiated by the mediator, the meeting endorsed measures aimed at optimising mediation. These include adjusting the work plans of members of the Facilitators’ Panel for the second half of 2026 and developing an operational action plan within fifteen days, specifying the modalities for implementing the decisions taken.
With a renewed collective commitment, participants pledged to apply these measures with “diligence and coherence.”
