Kenyatta, Masisi and Sahle-Work meet AFC/M23 leaders in Goma
Former African presidents serving as AU mediators met AFC/M23 political and military leaders in Goma as diplomatic efforts to resolve the eastern DRC conflict continue
A delegation of former African heads of state serving as African Union mediators held a high-level meeting with the political and military leadership of the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC)/M23 in Goma on Monday, as diplomatic efforts to address the protracted conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo continue.
The delegation comprised former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, former Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi and former Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde. The discussions reportedly centred on the search for a political and negotiated pathway towards resolving the conflict and advancing ongoing peace initiatives in eastern DRC.
The meeting brought the former heads of state into direct engagement with senior political and military representatives of AFC/M23, a coalition at the centre of the conflict in eastern DRC. The discussions are taking place against the backdrop of continuing regional and international efforts to establish a durable political settlement.
Two other members of the AU mediation team were reportedly unable to attend the Goma engagement. Former Central African Republic President Catherine Samba-Panza was absent because of illness, while former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo was reportedly engaged in an urgent diplomatic mission concerning tensions between Eritrea and Ethiopia.
The five former presidents constitute an African Union mediation team established to contribute to diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the DRC crisis. The broader mediation initiative is being led by Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbé.
The Goma meeting comes amid intensified diplomatic activity surrounding the conflict, with regional and international actors seeking to consolidate existing peace initiatives and encourage dialogue between the parties. The AU has repeatedly advocated for political and diplomatic mechanisms to address the conflict and has called for the implementation of peace commitments.
