Lomé Review Meeting Adopts New Guidelines for Eastern DR Congo Peace Process

Security

Tuesday, 09 June 2026 14:56

Lomé Review Meeting Adopts New Guidelines for Eastern DR Congo Peace Process

(Togo First) - A semiannual review meeting on efforts to resolve the crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and the Great Lakes region concluded Monday in Lomé with the adoption of new policy guidelines.

The measures will be implemented during the second half of the year with the aim of bringing the parties to the conflict closer together and advancing a return to peace in the region.

The meeting was chaired by Faure Gnassingbé, president of the Togolese Council and the African Union's designated mediator for the crisis. Participants identified several priority areas for action, including stronger coordination among the Mediator's Office, the Panel of Facilitators, the African Union Commission and the Independent Joint Secretariat.

The newly adopted guidelines also call for better coordination of Africa's contribution to the complementary Washington and Doha peace processes. The objective is to strengthen the commitment of the parties involved, enhance the legitimacy of the process and facilitate implementation of agreed measures.

In that spirit, countries and organizations participating in mediation efforts were urged to deepen cooperation in a spirit of solidarity while respecting the roles and mandates established under the mediation framework adopted in Lomé on Jan. 17, 2026.

Adjustments to the work plans of members of the Panel of Facilitators for the second half of 2026 were also announced, outlining how the decisions reached at the meeting will be put into effect.

The semiannual review followed a high-level meeting focused on improving coordination and consolidating the peace process in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Great Lakes region.

Esaïe Edoh

REFORMS OVERVIEW

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Creation of special chambers of commerce for small debts • Creation of chambers of commerce at the Court of Appeal • Civil and commercial cases now handled by distinct clerks • Establishment of commercial courts in Lomé and Kara • Lawyers and bailiffs now have access to the FORSETI COMMERCIAL platform • A maximum period of 100 days was fixed to settle a commercial dispute .

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