The capital of Togo played host to a critical round of talks on June 7 and 8, 2026, bringing together regional mediators to address the deepening crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). High-level representatives from the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the East African Community (EAC), and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) joined forces with envoys from the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN). The central agenda: reviewing the coherence of diplomatic pathways and assessing the remaining gaps between warring factions to achieve a lasting resolution.
Togo as a neutral hub for fragmented peace efforts
The selection of Lomé as the venue for these discussions was deliberate. Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé, serving as the AU’s facilitator for the Congolese dossier, has spent months attempting to unify disparate mediation tracks that have proliferated without consistent alignment. The Nairobi process, spearheaded by the EAC, and the Luanda initiative, led under AU auspices with former Angolan President João Lourenço at its helm, have advanced in isolation. While efforts to merge these tracks began in 2024, tangible progress on the ground remains elusive.
Diplomats in attendance conceded that coordination remains the weakest link in the peacebuilding chain. Multiple stakeholders emphasized the urgency of streamlining dialogue channels to prevent conflicting parties from exploiting divisions among mediators. This fragmentation has historically benefited armed groups, particularly the March 23 Movement (M23), whose military gains in North Kivu and South Kivu have reshaped regional security dynamics.
Tense timelines and unresolved bilateral tensions
Despite the high stakes, breakthroughs discussed in Lomé fell short of expectations. Direct negotiations between Kinshasa and the M23—long rejected by Congolese authorities—have finally commenced, driven by sustained pressure from regional mediators and international partners. Yet the parallel bilateral process between the DRC and Rwanda remains the thorniest obstacle, with accusations from UN monitors and Western capitals pointing to Kigali’s alleged support for the rebel group.
Mediators warned that delayed implementation of prior commitments—including the withdrawal of foreign forces from Congolese soil and the demobilization of armed factions—poses a growing threat to stability. The SADC’s deployment in the DRC (SAMIDRC) faced devastating losses in early 2025, exposing the shortcomings of military-led regional responses to a conflict deeply rooted in economic exploitation, land disputes, and identity-based grievances.
War economies and the road to sustainable peace
Beyond political maneuvering, participants underscored the urgency of dismantling illicit mineral supply chains fueling the conflict. Coltan, tin, gold, and tungsten—sourced from Kivu’s mines—feed a war economy with global ramifications. Delegates called for a regional traceability mechanism, identifying it as a prerequisite for any durable de-escalation.
The Lomé meeting yielded no headline-grabbing announcements, but it reinforced the need for an integrated approach. Future steps must prioritize the inclusion of Congolese civil society actors, long sidelined in favor of state-led negotiations. Civilian leaders from North and South Kivu, alongside traditional authorities, are now seen as essential partners to ground potential agreements in the realities of conflict-affected communities.
As mediators departed Lomé without a firm timeline for a comprehensive accord, the coming weeks will test whether the diplomatic momentum can shift the trajectory of a crisis that has defied peacebuilding efforts across the Great Lakes region for over three decades.