Eastern drc crisis: UA mediator gnassingbé hails progress but urges continued coordination

Togo’s President of the Council of Ministers, Faure Gnassingbé, who serves as the African Union (UA) mediator for resolving the crisis in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Great Lakes region, chaired a high-level meeting in Lomé on Monday. The session focused on a six-month evaluation of activities under the African mediation framework.

The strategic gathering 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 bodies such as the East African Community (EAC), the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR).

Gnassingbé commended progress in structuring the African mediation, particularly improvements made since the earlier Lomé meeting dedicated to coherence and consolidation of the peace process in the DRC and the wider region.

“We have reached a significant milestone since January by bringing more order to the architecture of African mediation,” he stated. He added, “I am convinced this meeting marks major progress in enhancing our collective action and in the search for sustainable solutions to this crisis.”

Beyond these achievements, the mediator underscored “the need to continue efforts to further strengthen coherence and coordination among the various mediation mechanisms engaged in the peace process in this part of the continent.”

Reaffirming his “determination to pursue the mission entrusted to him” by the AU, Gnassingbé also called for sustained collective mobilization in support 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 accompany us in the search for peace,” he emphasized.

To maintain momentum, the meeting endorsed measures to optimize mediation, including adjusting the work plans of the Panel of Facilitators for the second half of 2026. Additionally, a detailed operational action plan outlining implementation modalities for the decisions taken is to be developed within two weeks.

With renewed collective commitment, participants pledged to implement these measures with “diligence and coherence.”