AU Facilitators Meet Tshisekedi to Relaunch Regional Mediation Ahead of Visits to Kigali

Kinshasa - January 29, 2026 - President Félix Tshisekedi on Thursday received a delegation from the African Union (AU) Panel of Facilitators at the African Union City complex, as part of renewed diplomatic efforts to promote peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the wider Great Lakes region. Discussions focused on mediation initiatives aimed at ending the violence, particularly in the eastern provinces. “We are on a tour. We will listen to everyone and see what can be done for the well-being of this population that has suffered greatly for decades. Behind all this, there is human suffering that must be stopped,” said Sahle-Work Zewde, former President of Ethiopia. According to the Congolese presidency, President Tshisekedi welcomed the facilitators’ efforts and reaffirmed his commitment to achieving a lasting and verifiable peace in eastern DRC, as well as to strengthening regional stability, in line with commitments made by all parties. The delegation included Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of Nigeria; Sahle-Work Zewde, former President of Ethiopia; Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi, former President of Botswana; Catherine Samba-Panza, former President of the Central African Republic; Yackoly Kokou Johnson, Togolese Minister Delegate representing mediator Faure Gnassingbé; and Ambassador Akok Manyuat Madut, representing the African Union Commission. The facilitators are also scheduled to visit Kigali, Bujumbura, and Kampala. The African Union has recently outlined the structure of its mediation for the peace process in eastern DRC following a high-level meeting held in Lomé on January 16 and 17. The mediation is led by Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé, appointed as AU mediator, and supported by a Togolese team drawn from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Presidency. Five co-facilitators, all former African heads of state, have been assigned specific thematic areas: Olusegun Obasanjo for military and security issues; Sahle-Work Zewde for humanitarian affairs; Uhuru Kenyatta for dialogue with local armed groups; Mokgweetsi Masisi for regional economic cooperation; and Catherine Samba-Panza for civil society, reconciliation, and women’s issues. The mediation mechanism also includes an independent joint secretariat bringing together Togo, the African Union, the East African Community, the Southern African Development Community, and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region. The African Union Commission coordinates with international partners, including the United Nations, Qatar, the European Union, and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.