African Leaders, Experts Push for Stronger Peace Consolidation in DR Congo

Former African heads of state and peace experts under the African Union (AU) concluded a high-level meeting on Saturday focused on strengthening coherence and consolidating the peace process in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the wider Great Lakes region.

The meeting, held in Lomé, brought together members of the AU Panel for Peace as part of ongoing mediation efforts aimed at resolving the protracted crisis in eastern DRC. The mediation is being led by Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé, the AU-appointed mediator for the conflict in eastern DRC and the Great Lakes region.

During deliberations, President Gnassingbé urged African leaders to translate commitments into tangible action, stressing that peace initiatives must deliver real benefits to affected populations. He noted that peace should not be measured solely by agreements or diplomatic engagements, but by concrete outcomes such as improved security, access to essential services, and the gradual restoration of public trust in daily life.

Participants emphasized the importance of aligning all stakeholders around the principle of mediation centrality and ensuring a shared understanding and ownership of the unified African-led mediation process.

Discussions also focused on harmonizing approaches among actors involved in the peace effort.
The meeting agreed on aligning stakeholders with a revised mediation architecture and adopted a framework document outlining the current situation and key dynamics shaping the peace process. In addition, a detailed work plan for facilitators was endorsed to guide coordinated action by the AU Panel.

The role of the Panel was reaffirmed as the central political support mechanism for the mediation, tasked with acting in a coordinated and complementary manner, in strict accordance with the mandates issued by the AU Mediator.

The High-Level Meeting further called on all parties to accelerate the good-faith implementation of their commitments and to prioritize peaceful approaches in managing and resolving the conflict in eastern DRC.

Concluding the session, President Gnassingbé underscored the need for a rigorous, methodical, and sustained implementation of the decisions adopted in Lomé, emphasizing that only consistent action would lead to concrete and lasting peace in the DRC and the Great Lakes region.