Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé has been appointed officially by the African Union as the mediator in the ongoing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The role, previously held by Angola’s President Joao Lourenço until last month, has now been passed on to President Gnassingbé, with the intention that he will guide efforts to restore peace in the troubled Great Lakes region.
Gratitude for the nomination has been expressed on April 13 by Togo’s Foreign Minister, Robert Dussey, who conveyed appreciation to the AU member States for the trust placed in President Gnassingbé. It was emphasized that an active contribution to achieving lasting peace in the region would be made by the new mediator.
However, the appointment has not gone unchallenged. Criticism has been voiced by over a dozen Togolese civil society organisations, with accusations of democratic failings and rights violations being levelled against their president. Louis Rodolphe Attiogbé, of Novation Internationale, stated that shock had been felt at the appointment of someone “who violates all citizens’ rights in his own country”.
A difficult task lies ahead for the Togolese leader. His predecessor faced multiple diplomatic setbacks, as numerous ceasefires declared since 2021 have been quickly broken. One of the first priorities will be the unification and alignment of the Luanda and Nairobi mediation processes, in order to prevent fragmentation in peace efforts. Added to this is the parallel, discreet facilitation process being led by Qatar in Doha. It was in this setting, unexpectedly, that Rwandan and Congolese presidents agreed to meet in late March, following several failed attempts by the African Union. President Gnassingbé’s mediation will therefore be undertaken in an already complex and crowded diplomatic environment.