The African Union has nominated Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbé to lead a new diplomatic push aimed at easing tensions between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda, and the M23 rebel group. The decision, announced Saturday, marks a fresh chapter in AU efforts to stabilize one of the continent’s most troubled regions.
AU Chairperson João Lourenço, who also serves as Angola’s president, informed the Union’s leadership during a virtual session that preliminary talks with Gnassingbé had been positive. His appointment now awaits final approval from the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government.
Lourenço stressed the urgency of the situation in eastern Congo, describing the humanitarian conditions as dire and rapidly deteriorating. “The suffering of civilians continues to deepen, and the regional peace we’ve worked toward is at serious risk,” he told the Bureau.
Gnassingbé’s nomination received the Bureau’s endorsement and is expected to advance through the AU’s formal processes in the coming days.
This shift comes after Lourenço announced last month that he would step down from his mediation responsibilities to focus on broader AU duties. His efforts were publicly recognized by AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, who praised Lourenço’s leadership and called for a detailed roadmap to guide the next phase of talks.
Should the nomination be finalized, Gnassingbé will work alongside five high-level facilitators appointed by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community (EAC). The panel includes former leaders Uhuru Kenyatta (Kenya), Olusegun Obasanjo (Nigeria), Kgalema Motlanthe (South Africa), Sahle-Work Zewde (Ethiopia), and Catherine Samba-Panza (Central African Republic).
In a parallel development, the M23 rebel group — central to the conflict in eastern Congo — confirmed last week that it had withdrawn from Walikale and neighboring areas in North Kivu province. The group framed the pullback as a gesture of goodwill to support political dialogue.
The conflict has sparked regional tensions, with Kinshasa accusing Kigali of backing the M23 rebels. Rwanda has consistently denied the claims.
As the African Union attempts to chart a new path toward peace, the region remains on edge — waiting to see whether this recalibrated diplomatic effort can produce the breakthroughs that have so far proven elusive.