Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbé, recently appointed as the African Union’s chief mediator in the ongoing crisis involving the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda, and the M23 rebel group, convened a high-level meeting with former African presidents tasked with facilitating peace under the auspices of the EAC and SADC.

The gathering, bringing together former Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta, Olusegun Obasanjo, Sahle-Work Zewde, Mokgweetsi Masisi, and Catherine Samba-Panza, reflects a renewed AU effort to reassert continental leadership in a conflict increasingly mediated by external powers, most notably Qatar and the United States.

According to a statement from Kenyatta’s office, the panel « emphasised the importance of fostering dialogue and cooperation among the conflicting parties » and welcomed recent commitments toward a peaceful resolution.

« They reaffirmed their collective dedication to achieving lasting stability in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the broader region, » the statement said.

While the AU-backed Luanda process, launched in 2022 and previously spearheaded by Angolan President João Lourenço, remains formally in place, it is unclear whether the mediation track will now shift to Lomé following Gnassingbé’s appointment.

The institutional handover has yet to be officially confirmed.