President Paul Kagame has met a panel of African Union (AU) mediators working to support efforts to restore peace in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The mediators met Kagame at Village Urugwiro on October 7. The delegation included former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, former Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde, former Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi and Togo’s Deputy Foreign Minister Yackoley Kokou Johnson.
According to the Office of the President, discussions focused on the AU-led peace process, the next steps required and efforts to find a lasting solution to insecurity in eastern DRC, including addressing the underlying causes of the conflict.
The meeting came as the AU mediation panel conducted a working visit to the region. On October 5, the mediators held talks in Goma with AFC/M23 representatives and officials from MONUSCO, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the International Committee of the Red Cross and the expanded mechanism responsible for monitoring compliance with security agreements.
After the Goma talks, the mediators travelled to Kigali, where they also met Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Olivier Nduhungirehe.
The discussions form part of AU efforts to coordinate different mediation initiatives, including the Doha and Washington processes, in support of lasting peace in eastern DRC.
In July 2026, the AU adopted a six-month plan running until December to coordinate the work of its mediators and other AU bodies, monitor implementation of peace agreements and promote dialogue among parties to the conflict.
The AU has called on parties to the conflict in eastern DRC to respect the ceasefire, cooperate with monitoring mechanisms and continue political dialogue as a basis for lasting peace.
