Lomé hosted a high-level gathering on Monday, 8 June 2026, dedicated to african mediation over the crisis shaking eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Great Lakes region. Chaired by Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, the mediator appointed by the African Union, this meeting focused on a central challenge: better coordinating still scattered peace initiatives.
Around the table sat the facilitators designated by the African Union, along with representatives from the United Nations, EAC, ECCAS, SADC, ICGLR and ICRC. The presence of these actors reflects the complexity of a file where regional frameworks, institutional mandates and parallel diplomatic efforts intertwine.
Mediation enters a structuring phase
This semestral meeting follows on from discussions held in Lomé last January. At that time, participants already worked on the coherence of the mediation mechanism and the need to strengthen the peace process.
Faure Gnassingbé noted that progress has been made since then, especially in the internal organisation of the mediation architecture. In his view, the challenge is no longer just to multiply initiatives, but to make them more readable, more coherent and more effective on the ground.
This approach addresses a recurring difficulty in prolonged crises: too many actors sometimes intervene without sufficient coordination, weakening the impact of diplomatic efforts. In Lomé, the stated priority was thus to bring order back into the process.
Betting on african dialogue
The african union mediator reaffirmed his determination to pursue his mission despite obstacles. He stressed the need to maintain collective mobilisation for stability in eastern Congo, where violence and armed tensions continue to weigh on civilian populations.
By placing inclusive dialogue at the heart of his approach, Faure Gnassingbé defends a clear diplomatic line: prioritise african solutions, carried by african mechanisms, while maintaining ties with other international initiatives. This position aims to avoid duplication and strengthen the process’s credibility.
Stakeholders welcomed this leadership, saying it helps restore trust among actors and harmonise ongoing efforts. For them, mediation success 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 produced 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 underlined the importance of building a more structured african contribution to the Washington and Doha processes. The aim is to enable better ownership of these initiatives by regional actors and facilitate their implementation.
In the same spirit, states and organisations involved were called to intensify their cooperation, respecting 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 orientations into concrete measures.
Lomé as a diplomatic anchor
At bottom, this meeting confirms Lomé’s growing role as a diplomatic platform on the Congolese file. Togo is gradually emerging as a convergence point for discussions related to peace in the Great Lakes region.
It remains to be seen whether this coordination drive will produce tangible effects on the ground. In such a long and shifting crisis, the value of mediation is measured less by its announcements than by its ability to keep actors around the same table and to advance, step by step, a shared roadmap.
