Togolese President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé convened this Saturday in Lomé the panel of facilitators appointed as part of the African mediation for peace in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This meeting is part of the African Union's efforts to bring Kinshasa and Kigali closer together, amid ongoing tensions and armed violence.
Several former African heads of state were present at the table: Olusegun Obasanjo (Nigeria), Uhuru Kenyatta (Kenya), Mokgweetsi Masisi (Botswana), Catherine Samba-Panza (Central African Republic), and Sahle-Work Zewde (Ethiopia). Together, they reaffirmed their commitment to harmonizing existing peace initiatives by merging the Nairobi and Luanda processes into a unified approach.
The mediator and facilitators emphasized the need for coherent coordination between their respective efforts within an integrated framework. They also underscored the importance of close collaboration with regional organizations such as the East African Community (EAC) and SADC, as well as with international partners such as Qatar and the United States.
In a message issued the same day, Massad Boulos, Senior Advisor for Africa at the U.S. State Department, welcomed the diplomatic progress. "I just spoke with Togolese President Faure about the significant progress made following the signing of the Declaration of Principles between the DRC and Rwanda," he said, expressing his gratitude for Togo's role in the process.
The participants welcomed the recent signs of goodwill expressed by the various parties and their commitment to a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
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