African mediation unveils new strategy for peace in eastern DRC

On Monday, June 8, 2026, Togo’s President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, the African Union (AU) mediator for the crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Great Lakes region, chaired a meeting in Lomé to assess the first semester of mediation activities. The session took place against a backdrop of stalled diplomatic initiatives and ongoing clashes between government forces and the Rwanda-backed AFC/M23 rebellion.

The gathering brought together members of the AU-designated College of Facilitators, along with representatives of the United Nations, East African Community (EAC), Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), Southern African Development Community (SADC), International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Held over two days on June 7 and 8, 2026, the meeting aimed to review progress since the mediation architecture established in Lomé on January 17, 2026. Participants also set priorities for the second half of the year to support the Washington and Doha peace processes, led by the United States and Qatar respectively.

Strategic directions for the second half of 2026

According to the official communiqué from the Togolese presidency, the evaluation session adopted several key orientations. These include strengthening internal coordination among the Mediator’s Office, the Panel of Facilitators, the AU Commission, and the independent joint secretariat.

Participants also emphasised the need to structure and provide a cohesive African contribution to the complementary Washington and Doha processes, thereby enhancing local ownership, legitimacy, and implementation.

Furthermore, all states and organisations involved in mediation efforts were urged to increase cooperation in a spirit of solidarity while respecting the responsibilities and mandates outlined in the Lomé mediation architecture of January 17, 2026.

Immediate decisions

The meeting adopted several measures to boost the mediation’s effectiveness. These include adjusting the work plans of Panel of Facilitators members for the second semester of 2026 and drafting, within 15 days, an operational action plan specifying how to implement the decisions taken.

“Driven by renewed collective will and a spirit of shared responsibility, participants committed to implement the meeting’s decisions diligently and coherently, honour their pledges, and work together toward lasting peace in eastern DRC and the Great Lakes region,” the Togolese presidency stated.

This latest meeting follows a high-level session on coherence and consolidation of the peace process, held on January 16–17 in Lomé. Initiated by President Gnassingbé—the AU’s lead mediator for eastern DRC—that earlier gathering aimed to build trust, advance dialogue, and ensure adherence to commitments by all parties.

The January talks assembled a panel of facilitators composed of former heads of state, Togolese Foreign Minister Robert Dussey, envoys from the EAC and SADC, and several international partners. The effort built upon months of diplomatic work to stabilise eastern DRC.

At the conclusion of those January meetings, the AU unveiled its mediation architecture for the DRC peace process. The structure places President Gnassingbé as the AU mediator, supported by a Togolese mediation support team from the foreign ministry and presidency.

Five co-facilitators—all former African heads of state—were assigned specific portfolios: Nigeria’s Olusegun Obasanjo handles military and security matters; Ethiopia’s Sahle-Work Zewde oversees humanitarian issues; Kenya’s Uhuru Kenyatta leads dialogue with local armed groups; Botswana’s Mokgweetsi Masisi manages regional economic cooperation; and Central African Republic’s Catherine Samba-Panza addresses civil society, reconciliation, and gender concerns.

The mediation also includes an independent joint secretariat involving Togo, the AU, the EAC, SADC, and the ICGLR. The AU Commission coordinates with international partners, including the UN, Qatar, the European Union, and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.