The President of the Council, Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, the African Union Mediator for the resolution of the crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Great Lakes region, chaired a high-level meeting in Lomé on Monday, June 8, 2026, dedicated to the semi-annual evaluation of activities carried out within the framework of the African mediation.
This important meeting brought together, under the auspices of the Togolese mediation team, members of the College of Facilitators appointed by the African Union, representatives of 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).
Progress in structuring African mediation welcomed
The President of the Council, Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, welcomed the presence of the facilitators, regional organizations, and international partners at this evaluation meeting, which demonstrates their continued commitment to peace, stability, and development in the Great Lakes region.
He particularly welcomed the progress made since the Lomé meeting, which focused on the coherence and consolidation of the peace process in the DRC and the region.
“We have taken a significant step forward since January by bringing more order to the architecture of African mediation. I am convinced that this meeting marks a significant advance in improving our collective action and in the search for lasting solutions to this crisis,” declared the African Union Mediator.
While welcoming these advances, President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé stressed the need to continue efforts to further strengthen coherence and coordination among the various mediation mechanisms involved in the peace process in this region of the continent.
A renewed commitment to peace in eastern DRC
Reaffirming his determination to pursue the mission entrusted to him by the African Union, the President of the Council emphasized the need to maintain collective mobilization in support of stability in eastern DRC.
“We will pursue this mission with humility, determination, and perseverance.” “Despite the challenges, we also see the existence of many willing parties ready to support us in this pursuit of peace,” he emphasized.
Faced with this determination, the parties concerned commended the leadership of the President of the Council, who has placed inclusive dialogue, the coordination of diplomatic initiatives, and the search for African solutions at the heart of the crisis resolution process. They also reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the implementation of his guidelines, particularly the strengthening of trust among the stakeholders, the harmonization of mediation mechanisms, and the consolidation of progress made on the ground.
Strategic guidelines for the second half of 2026
The meeting adopted several guidelines, including strengthening internal coordination between the Office of the Mediator, the Panel of Facilitators, the African Union Commission, and the Independent Joint Secretariat.
The stakeholders also highlighted the importance of structuring and providing an African contribution to the complementary processes in Washington and Doha to increase their ownership, legitimacy, and facilitate their implementation.
The participants also called on all States and organizations engaged in mediation efforts to strengthen their cooperation in a spirit of solidarity, while respecting the responsibilities and mandates defined in the mediation architecture adopted in Lomé on January 17, 2026.
Immediate Decisions
To maintain the momentum initiated by the President of the Council, the meeting adopted several measures aimed at strengthening the effectiveness of the mediation process.
These include adjusting the work plans of the members of the Panel of Facilitators for the second half of 2026, as well as developing, within fifteen days, an operational action plan specifying the modalities for implementing the decisions reached.
Driven by a renewed collective will and a spirit of shared responsibility, the participants pledged to diligently and consistently implement the decisions of this meeting, to honor their commitments, and to work together towards achieving lasting peace in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Great Lakes region.
This semi-annual review meeting follows the high-level meeting on the coherence and consolidation of the peace process in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Great Lakes region, held on January 17, 2026, at the initiative of the African Union Mediator. The Lomé meeting aimed to promote the alignment of various peace initiatives in order to strengthen the centrality of the African mediation process.
