African mediation summit in Lomé seeks to unify peace efforts for eastern DRC

On Monday, 8 June 2026, Lomé hosted a high-level meeting focused on African mediation for the crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Great Lakes region. Chaired by Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, the mediator appointed by the African Union, the gathering centred on a key priority: improving coordination among still-fragmented peace initiatives.

Around the table sat facilitators designated by the African Union, alongside representatives from the UN, the EAC, ECCAS, SADC, ICGLR, and the 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 semiannual meeting followed up on discussions held in Lomé last January. At that time, participants had already worked on making the mediation framework more coherent and strengthening the peace process.

Faure Gnassingbé noted that progress had been made since then, particularly in organising the mediation architecture internally. In his view, the challenge now is not simply multiplying initiatives but making them clearer, more consistent, and more effective on the ground.

This approach addresses a recurring difficulty in prolonged crises: too many actors sometimes intervene without sufficient coordination, undermining the impact of diplomatic efforts. In Lomé, the stated priority was therefore to bring order to 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 advocates a clear diplomatic line: prioritise African solutions driven by African mechanisms while staying connected to other international initiatives. This stance aims to avoid duplication and strengthen the credibility of the process.

Stakeholders welcomed this leadership, saying it helps restore trust among actors and harmonise ongoing efforts. For them, the success of 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 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 stressed the importance of building a more structured African contribution to the Washington and Doha processes. The goal 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 upon to intensify 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 turn these orientations into concrete measures.

Lomé as a anchor point

At its core, this meeting confirms Lomé’s growing role as a diplomatic platform on the Congolese issue. Togo is gradually emerging as a convergence point for peace talks in the Great Lakes region.

It remains to be seen whether this drive for coordination will produce tangible results on the ground. In such a long and fluid crisis, the value of a mediation is measured less by its announcements than by its ability to keep actors around the same table and steadily advance a common roadmap.