On Monday, 8 June 2026, Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, President of the Council of Togo and African Union mediator for the crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Great Lakes region, chaired a meeting in Lomé. This session evaluated the six-month progress of the African mediation amid a diplomatic stalemate and ongoing clashes between government forces and the AFC/M23 rebellion, which is supported by Rwanda.
The gathering brought together the College of Facilitators appointed by the African Union, along with delegates 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 advancements since the mediation architecture was established in Lomé on 17 January 2026. It also set priorities for the second half of the year, supporting 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 Togolese Presidency’s communiqué, the evaluation meeting approved several measures, including strengthening internal coordination among the Mediator’s Office, the Panel of Facilitators, the African Union Commission, and the Independent Joint Secretariat.
Stakeholders also stressed the need to structure and provide an African contribution to the complementary Washington and Doha processes, to boost ownership, legitimacy, and implementation.
Participants called on all states and organizations involved in mediation to enhance cooperation in a spirit of solidarity, while respecting the responsibilities and mandates defined in the Lomé mediation architecture of 17 January 2026.
Immediate decisions
The meeting adopted several measures to boost the mediation process’s effectiveness. These include adjusting the work plans of Panel of Facilitators members for the second semester of 2026, and developing within fifteen days an operational action plan detailing implementation modalities for the adopted decisions.
“Driven by renewed collective will and a spirit of shared responsibility, participants committed to diligently and coherently implementing the meeting’s decisions, honoring their commitments, and working together toward lasting peace in eastern DRC and the Great Lakes region,” the Togolese Presidency stated.
This latest session follows the high-level meeting on coherence and consolidation of the peace process in the DRC, held on 16–17 January in Lomé, Togo. Initiated by Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, it aimed to build trust between parties, advance dialogue, and ensure compliance with commitments by various stakeholders.
That initiative brought together a panel of facilitators comprising former heads of state, Togolese Foreign Minister Robert Dussey, representatives from the EAC and SADC, and several international partners. It was part of ongoing diplomatic efforts for stability in eastern DRC.
At the conclusion of those talks, the African Union unveiled its mediation architecture for the peace process in eastern DRC. According to the framework, the mediation is under the authority of Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé, designated AU mediator, supported by a Togolese mediation support team comprising the Foreign Ministry and the Presidency.
The same document identifies five co-facilitators, all former African heads of state, each responsible for specific areas. Nigeria’s former President Olusegun Obasanjo handles military and security issues. Former Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde manages humanitarian affairs. Kenya’s former President Uhuru Kenyatta oversees dialogue with local armed groups. Former Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi focuses on regional economic cooperation, while Catherine Samba-Panza, former transitional president of the Central African Republic, leads files on civil society, reconciliation, and gender.
The structure also includes an Independent Joint Secretariat involving Togo, the AU, the EAC, SADC, and the ICGLR. The AU Commission coordinates with international partners such as the UN, Qatar, the European Union, and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, the document added.