Kigali — President Paul Kagame on Friday hosted African Union (AU) Lead Mediator for the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) peace process, President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé of Togo, at Urugwiro Village for high-level discussions on regional peace and security.
President Gnassingbé, who is leading the AU mediation efforts on eastern DRC, first held a private meeting with President Kagame.
The talks were later expanded to include the AU-appointed Panel of Facilitators, made up of former African Heads of State Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, Sahle-Work Zewde of Ethiopia, Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana, and Catherine Samba-Panza of the Central African Republic.
The discussions focused on the security situation in eastern DRC, where continued fighting by armed groups, territorial disputes, and cross-border tensions have prolonged instability in the region.
The latest engagements built on outcomes from a high-level meeting held in Lomé, Togo, on January 17, 2026, chaired by President Gnassingbé, which emphasized the need for a coordinated mediation approach and stronger joint support mechanisms.
President Gnassingbé arrived in Kigali late last night, January 29, 2026, as part of a regional shuttle diplomacy effort that also included consultations in Kinshasa.
The visit follows a December 2025 African Union Peace and Security Council decision endorsing the merger of regional peace processes and mandating the AU Mediator and Panel of Facilitators to propose urgent measures to reduce tensions ahead of the AU Summit scheduled for February 2026.
The engagement reflects renewed momentum in continental diplomacy to address the long-running conflict in eastern DRC, with a focus on dialogue, cooperation, and preventing further humanitarian suffering in the region.
