AU Pushes for Unified Mediation to Revive Eastern DR Congo Peace Talks

Addis Ababa, January 18, 2026 (ENA)—African and international leaders have agreed to consolidate all mediation efforts under an African Union (AU)-led framework to address the protracted conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The decision followed a high-level, two-day summit in Lomé, chaired by Togo’s President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, the AU-mandated mediator for the Great Lakes crisis.

 Leaders endorsed a unified mediation structure, including the creation of an Independent Joint Secretariat to support the AU Panel of Facilitators, which includes former presidents from Nigeria, Kenya, Central African Republic, Botswana, and Ethiopia.

The summit called on all parties to implement existing peace commitments, prioritize political dialogue over military action, and resume negotiations under the Doha process with the Congolese government and the M23 armed group.

 Leaders also welcomed prior diplomatic efforts, including U.S.-brokered agreements between DRC and Rwanda and the Doha Declaration and Framework Agreement, while highlighting the Paris Conference on the Great Lakes as a milestone in mobilizing international support.

In a statement on X, Gnassingbé emphasized that only a coordinated, durable political solution can restore peace, security, and stability for the Great Lakes region.

Violence in eastern Congo has persisted for decades, displacing millions and making it one of Africa’s most enduring humanitarian crises.