On Monday, June 8, 2026, in Lomé, Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, President of the Togolese Council and African Union mediator for the crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), chaired a high-level meeting to assess the first half of 2026’s mediation efforts. The gathering took place amid a persistent stalemate in diplomatic initiatives and ongoing clashes between government forces and the M23/AFRC rebellion, reportedly backed by Rwanda.

The two-day session, held on June 7–8, brought together facilitators from the African Union, alongside representatives of the United Nations, East African Community (EAC), Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), Southern African Development Community (SADC), International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

The primary objective was to evaluate progress since the Lomé mediation framework was adopted on January 17, 2026, and to outline priorities for the second half of the year. These priorities aim to bolster the Washington and Doha peace processes, led by the United States and Qatar, respectively.

Strategic directions for H2 2026

According to official statements from the Togolese presidency, key decisions included strengthening internal coordination among the Mediator’s Office, the Panel of Facilitators, the African Union Commission, and the Independent Joint Secretariat.

Participants underscored the need to structure and deploy an African contribution to the complementary Washington and Doha processes. This move is intended to enhance ownership, legitimacy, and implementation of the agreements reached.

A renewed call was made for all states and organizations involved in mediation to deepen cooperation, while respecting their respective responsibilities and mandates within the Lomé framework.

Immediate action plan

The meeting adopted several concrete measures to enhance mediation effectiveness. These include:

• Adjusting the work plans of the Panel of Facilitators for the second half of 2026;
• Developing an operational action plan within 15 days to clarify implementation modalities of the adopted decisions.

“With a shared sense of renewed commitment and collective responsibility, participants pledged to diligently implement the decisions of this meeting, honor their commitments, and work together to achieve lasting peace in the eastern DRC and the Great Lakes region“, stated the Togolese presidency.

This gathering follows the high-level meeting on coherence and consolidation of the peace process in the DRC, held in Lomé on January 16–17, 2026. Initiated by Faure Gnassingbé, the meeting sought to restore trust between parties, advance dialogue, and ensure compliance with commitments made by all stakeholders in the peace process.

The January meeting convened a panel of facilitators—former heads of state, Togo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Robert Dussey, representatives of the EAC and SADC, and several international partners. It built on recent diplomatic efforts to stabilize the eastern DRC.

At the conclusion of that meeting, the African Union unveiled its mediation architecture for the peace process in eastern DRC. Under the framework, Faure Gnassingbé serves as the AU mediator, supported by a Togolese mediation support team comprising the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Presidency.

The architecture also includes five co-facilitators, each overseeing thematic portfolios:

• Olusegun Obasanjo (Nigeria): Military and security affairs;
• Sahle-Work Zewde (Ethiopia): Humanitarian issues;
• Uhuru Kenyatta (Kenya): Dialogue with local armed groups;
• Mokgweetsi Masisi (Botswana): Regional economic cooperation;
• Catherine Samba-Panza (Central African Republic): Civil society, reconciliation, and gender matters.

The framework also establishes an Independent Joint Secretariat involving Togo, the African Union, EAC, SADC, and the ICGLR. The African Union Commission is tasked with coordinating with international partners, including the United Nations, Qatar, the European Union, and the UN Security Council’s P5.