Lomé hosted a high-level meeting on Monday, 8 June 2026, focused on African mediation efforts for the crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the broader Great Lakes region. Chaired by Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, the mediator appointed by the African Union, the talks centred on one key challenge: better coordinating peace initiatives that remain fragmented.
Around the table sat the facilitators designated by the African Union, along with representatives 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). The presence of these actors underscores the complexity of a situation where regional frameworks, institutional mandates, and parallel diplomatic efforts intersect.
A mediation taking shape
This biannual meeting builds on the discussions held in Lomé last January. At that time, participants had already worked on the coherence of the mediation framework and the need to consolidate the peace process.
Faure Gnassingbé assessed that progress had been made since then, particularly in the internal organisation of the mediation architecture. According to him, the challenge is no longer just to multiply initiatives, but to make them more legible, more coherent, and more effective on the ground.
This approach addresses a recurring difficulty in protracted crises: too many actors sometimes intervene without sufficient coordination, weakening the impact of diplomatic efforts. In Lomé, the stated priority was therefore to bring order to the process.
The bet on African dialogue
The African Union mediator reiterated his determination to carry out his mission despite the obstacles. He stressed the need to maintain collective mobilisation for stability in eastern DRC, where violence and armed tensions continue to weigh on civilian populations.
By placing inclusive dialogue at the centre of his approach, Faure Gnassingbé defends a clear diplomatic line: prioritising African solutions, carried by African mechanisms, while maintaining a link with other international initiatives. This position aims to avoid duplication and strengthen the credibility of the process.
Stakeholders welcomed this leadership, saying it helps restore trust among actors and harmonises the steps taken. For them, the success of the mediation depends first on a clear architecture, well-distributed responsibilities, and rigorous follow-up on commitments.
Decisions for the second half of the year
The Lomé meeting resulted in several concrete directions. Participants notably decided to strengthen coordination between the Mediator’s Office, the panel of facilitators, the African Union Commission, and the independent Joint Secretariat.
They also emphasised the importance of building a more structured African contribution to the Washington and Doha processes. The goal is to allow better ownership of these initiatives by regional actors and facilitate their implementation.
In the same spirit, the involved states and organisations were called upon to intensify their cooperation, in respect of the roles defined by the architecture adopted in Lomé on 17 January 2026. An operational action plan must now be finalised within fifteen days to translate these directions into concrete measures.
Lomé as a springboard
At its core, this meeting confirms Lomé’s growing role as a diplomatic platform on the Congolese dossier. Togo is gradually establishing itself as a convergence point for discussions related to peace in the Great Lakes.
The question remains whether this will to coordinate will produce tangible effects on the ground. In a crisis as prolonged and shifting as this, the value of a mediation is measured less by its announcements than by its ability to keep actors around the same table and advance, step by step, a common roadmap.
