On April 21, Rwandan President Paul Kagame met with Faure Gnassingbé, the President of Togo, who was recently appointed as a mediator by the African Union to help address the ongoing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). According to the Rwandan president's office, their main discussion centered on the persistent crisis in the region.
The two leaders talked about ongoing regional initiatives aimed at achieving lasting peace. As reported by IGIHE, Togo is focusing on constructive dialogue and reconciliation as the best approach to resolving the conflict gripping the Great Lakes area. Faure Gnassingbé reaffirmed his intention to collaborate with other partners to help bring peace between Rwanda and the DRC.
Earlier, on April 13, Togo's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that President Gnassingbé had agreed to serve as a mediator, replacing Angola's President João Lourenço, who stepped down from the role in March.
Tensions have remained high in eastern DRC for several months. In January, M23 rebels seized Goma, the largest city in North Kivu province, although Congolese authorities later managed to retain partial control there. In February, similar events took place in Bukavu, with the town changing hands between the army and the rebels. On February 16, the Kinshasa government accused Rwandan troops and allied forces of being involved in the conflict in Bukavu.
Talks between the DRC government and the M23 insurgents had been scheduled for March 18 in Luanda, but the rebels withdrew after EU sanctions targeted their leadership.
Despite these setbacks, on March 18, the heads of state for the DRC and Rwanda met in Qatar and agreed to a ceasefire. Nevertheless, on March 20, M23's military wing announced it did not feel obligated to comply with the ceasefire, though two days later the group said it was pulling fighters out of Walikale. By early April, government troops had returned and reestablished control over the town.
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