At the invitation of His Excellency Faure Essozimna GNASSINGBE, President of the Council of the Togolese Republic and Mediator of the African Union, within the framework of efforts to resolve the conflict and the security situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a High-Level Meeting was held on 17 January 2026 in Lomé, Togolese Republic, on coherence and consolidation of the peace process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Great Lakes region.
The High-Level Meeting was chaired by His Excellency Faure Essozimna GNASSINGBE. The following personalities took part in the proceedings:
- His Excellency Olusegun OBASANJO, former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Member of the Panel of Facilitators;
- His Excellency Uhuru KENYATTA, former President of the Republic of Kenya, Member of the Panel of Facilitators;
- Her Excellency Catherine SAMBA-PANZA, former President of the Central African Republic, Member of the Panel of Facilitators;
- His Excellency Mokgweetsi MASISI, former President of the Republic of Botswana, Member of the Panel of Facilitators;
- Her Excellency Sahle-Work ZEWDE, former President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Member of the Panel of Facilitators.
The Ministers of Foreign Affairs and representatives of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of Rwanda, the Republic of Angola, the Republic of Burundi, the Republic of Uganda, the United States of America, the State of Qatar, the French Republic and the Togolese Republic also took part in the Meeting.
The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, His Excellency Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, representatives of the United Nations, the East African Community (EAC), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), the International Contact Group for the Great Lakes Region, as well as numerous international partners and representatives of civil society participated in the proceedings.
The High-Level Meeting reviewed the diplomatic efforts undertaken at the African and international levels over the past twelve (12) months to reopen channels of dialogue between the parties to the conflict and to accelerate momentum towards de-escalation and negotiated solutions.
It recalled the conclusions of the meeting held by the Mediator with the Panel of Facilitators on 17 May 2025 in Lomé, and welcomed the combined efforts of the Mediation led by the Togolese Republic, the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), in support of the return to lasting peace in eastern DRC and the strengthening of stability in the Great Lakes region.
The High-Level Meeting welcomed the diplomatic efforts of the United States of America that led to the signing of the Washington Declaration of Principles on April 25, 2025, the Washington Peace Agreement of June 27, 2025, the agreement of the Regional Economic Integration Framework of November 7, 2025, and the Washington Peace Agreements of December 4, 2025, between the DRC and Rwanda. It also welcomed the Doha talks led by the State of Qatar, which led to the Doha Declaration of Principles of July 19, 2025, followed by the Doha Framework Agreement for a Comprehensive Peace Agreement with eight thematic protocols, signed on November 15, 2025.
The Meeting also welcomed the holding, on 30 October 2025 in Paris, of the Conference in Support of Peace and Prosperity in the Great Lakes Region.
The Mediator reaffirmed his availability to work jointly with the United States of America and the State of Qatar as well as all stakeholders, in the implementation of the signed agreements and in the continuation of the Doha negotiations between the Government of the DRC and the AFC/M23.
I. CONSOLIDATION OF THE COHERENCE OF MEDIATION EFFORTS
The High-Level Meeting underscored the need to strengthen harmonization, coherence, and coordination among all peace initiatives, in order to capitalize on existing synergies and to avoid any fragmentation of mediation efforts to the detriment of peace and stability in eastern DRC.
In this regard, the Meeting endorsed the revision of the Mediation architecture, with the Independent Joint Secretariat as a technical support mechanism to the Panel of Facilitators.
The Meeting reaffirmed the role of the Panel of Facilitators as a central political support mechanism to the Mediation, acting in a coordinated and complementary manner and in strict accordance with the mandates entrusted by the Mediator.
The Meeting emphasized the need to ensure close harmonization with international initiatives, in order to guarantee coherence of messaging, respect for political sequencing, and alignment of external support with the priorities defined under the Mediation.
II. CONSOLIDATION OF THE PEACE PROCESS IN EASTERN DRC, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
The High-Level Meeting called upon the Parties to accelerate the good-faith implementation of their respective commitments and to prioritize peaceful means in the management and resolution of the conflict.
The Meeting reaffirmed its full support to the Doha process and urged the Parties to resume talks without delay in order to conclude negotiations on the remaining six (6) Protocols.
It stressed the importance of structured African follow-up of the implementation of the agreements and the evolution of the peace process.
III. DECISIONS OF THE HIGH-LEVEL MEETING
The following decisions conclude the proceedings of the Meeting:
a) Alignment on the principle of the centrality of the Mediation led by the Togolese Republic;
b) Harmonization of the understanding and ownership of the unified mediation process at the African level;
c) Alignment of stakeholders around the revised Mediation architecture;
d) Adoption of a Mediation Framework Document, based on the situational assessment and analysis of the dynamics of the peace process;
e) Adoption of the Facilitators’ Work Plan as operational instruments to guide the coordinated action of the Panel;
IV. MISCELLANEOUS AND NEXT STEPS
The Participants expressed their profound appreciation to the Government and the people of the Togolese Republic for the warm hospitality and facilities extended to the delegations, as well as for Togo’s steadfast commitment to supporting the Mediation.
The participants reaffirmed their collective determination to pursue, in a spirit of coherence, coordination, and shared responsibility, the efforts undertaken in order to durably consolidate the peace process and to promote peace, security, and stability in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Great Lakes region.
Done in Lomé, 17 January 2026
