President Paul Kagame on Monday, April 21, hosted Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe at Village Urugwiro for a discussion on the ongoing crisis in DR Congo and its implications on the Great Lakes Region. The two leaders “discussed the progress of the regional processes towards achieving durable peace in the region,” Village Urugwiro said in a post on X. This afternoon at Urugwiro Village, President Kagame received President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé @FEGnassingbe of Togo who is serving as the appointed AU mediator in the conflict in Eastern DRC. They discussed the progress of the regional processes towards achieving durable... pic.twitter.com/JoTV9aVRP9 — Presidency | Rwanda (@UrugwiroVillage) April 21, 2025 Gnassingbe is the African Union’s newly appointed mediator for DR Congo conflict, a role that was previously held by Angola’s President Joao Lourenço, who is now the AU Chairperson. He also plays the mediator role between Rwanda and DR Congo, whose relations were affected by the conflict between the Congolese government and the AFC/M23 rebels. Kagame and Gnassingbe last met on January 19, at Village Urugwiro. The Togolese leader was in Rwanda for a two day visit. Rwanda has raised concerns about the Congolese army’s collaboration with the FDLR, a militia founded by perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Rwanda also expressed concerns about the intentions of the Congolese government coalition that includes the FDLR, Western mercenaries, and SADC forces, and Burundian troops, to attack Rwandan territory. The conflict in eastern DR Congo has escalated since January, when the AFC/M23 rebels captured the key cities of Goma and Bukavu. DR Congo accuses Rwanda of supporting the rebels – allegations the Rwandan government dismisses, pointing out that it has put in place defensive measures to prevent the security threat from materializing. Several peace initiatives to resolve the conflict have failed. Currently, the AU-backed EAC-SADC initiative, which harmonized the Nairobi and Luanda process, is the latest regional attempt at peace. Qatar-mediated direct talks between the Congolese government and AFC/M23 rebels were held in Doha on April 10. However, the outcomes of the two parties’ first direct negotiations have not been made public.
