Democratic Republic of the Congo President Félix Tshisekedi met with a delegation of African Union (AU) facilitators in Kinshasa on October 9 to discuss the security crisis in eastern DRC and progress in ongoing peace efforts.
According to the Congolese presidency, discussions focused on the Washington and Doha peace processes. Tshisekedi reaffirmed the DRC’s commitment to these diplomatic initiatives, stressing that existing commitments must be implemented in a concrete and verifiable manner.
Four former African heads of state took part in the mission: Sahle-Work Zewde of Ethiopia, Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, Catherine Samba-Panza of the Central African Republic, and Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana. Their responsibilities cover humanitarian issues and civilian protection, military matters and the cessation of hostilities, reconciliation and civil society engagement, as well as regional economic integration and natural resource governance.
During their stay in Kinshasa, the facilitators also consulted Congolese officials and civil society representatives. On October 10, they reported back to Tshisekedi on the consultations. Zewde described the discussions as fruitful and reiterated the AU’s commitment to finding a lasting solution to the conflict.
The mission is part of the AU’s broader mediation efforts in the Great Lakes region. Before arriving in Kinshasa, the facilitators held consultations in Goma, eastern DRC, and Kigali, Rwanda. Their itinerary was expected to include further visits to Uganda and Burundi, followed by Beni in North Kivu province and Bunia in Ituri province.
