With the aim of resolving the crises shaking the continent, the President of Togo’s Council of Ministers, Faure Gnassingbé, who is also the African Union’s mediator for the crisis in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, chaired the first meeting of the group of co-facilitators in Lomé on 17 May 2025. Discussions focused on the alignment of actions and the implementation of the Nairobi and Luanda peace processes.
On 17 May 2025, the African Union mediator for the crisis in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, convened a meeting of the panel of facilitators appointed as part of the African mediation for peace. The meeting is part of the African Union’s efforts to bring Kinshasa and Kigali closer together, against a backdrop of persistent tension and armed violence. The former leaders nominated by SADC and the EAC included Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana, Catherine Samba-Panza of the Central African Republic and Sahle-Work Zewde of Ethiopia. For the experts, the search for an African solution to African crises is a commendable initiative, but concrete action is needed.
«What is happening in Togo right now is quite interesting because involving African personalities to solve problems is already a good thing. However, we can already question the selection of these individuals. Added figures who have previously faced similar situations could bring some, but maybe. But what about the rest? Do the others have real influence over the key actors? Can they truly impact the outcome of the conflict? »
Ousman Ahmed Nib, International relations specialist – Cameroon
In recent months, there has been a worrying upsurge in violence in several conflict zones, prompting the African Union to step up its diplomatic efforts. The DRC remains a priority, but the group is also monitoring fragile situations in Sudan, the Sahel and parts of the Horn of Africa. Hence the need for coherent coordination of joint efforts within an integrated framework, according to observers.
«Would it be worthwhile to involve non-state actors with field experience? Because we know resolving these conflicts cannot be solely a matter of state actors? Only those who bear arms. Civil society has a voice. In short, we need an inclusive discussion. Really.»
Ousman Ahmed Nib, International relations specialist – Cameroon
The Chairman of the African Union (AU), Joao Lourenço, has appointed Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé to act as peace mediator between the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and the M23 rebels in April 2025. It was at the end of a summit held in Tanzania in February 2025 and co-chaired by Emmerson Mnangagwa, President of Zimbabwe and President of the SADC, and William Ruto, President of Kenya and President of the EAC, that the facilitators in this crisis were appointed.
