Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé, recently appointed as the African Union’s mediator in the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, has launched his peace mission with an official visit, which happens to be the first since his appointment, to Kinshasa.
During the visit on 16 April, a closed-door meeting was held with Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi at the Cité de l’OUA. Though no public statements were made, Congolese authorities confirmed that the appointment had been acknowledged and expressed hope that it would help end the ongoing violence in the eastern region, which has persisted for nearly three years.
The mediation role was previously held by Angola’s President João Lourenço, with whom Gnassingbé met in Luanda earlier that day for a symbolic transition. The AU-led effort is now being supported by multiple regional and international actors, including Qatar, the East African Community (EAC), and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Qatar recently facilitated a rare meeting between the Congolese and Rwandan presidents, while parallel talks with the M23 rebel group have also been supported.