Museveni hosts AU–EAC–SADC facilitators of DR Congo peace talks

KAMPALA - President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has hosted leaders of the AU–EAC–SADC panel of facilitators of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Peace Process.

The meeting held at State House, Entebbe, earlier today (February 03) is part of the ongoing efforts to advance dialogue and stability in Eastern DRC.

The high-level panel of facilitators, which is on a working visit to Uganda, is chaired by Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, President of the Republic of Togo.

Its membership, which includes former African heads of state, is mandated to support regional dialogue and strengthen collective efforts toward sustainable peace and stability in Eastern DRC.

The panel at the consultations in Entebbe included: Olusegun Obasanjo (former President of Nigeria), Uhuru Kenyatta (former President of Kenya), Sahle-Work Zewde (former President of Ethiopia), Dr Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi (former President of Botswana), and  Catherine Samba-Panza (former President of the Central African Republic).

During the meeting, President Museveni said the conflict in the DRC is well understood within the region and should not be allowed to persist, given its long-standing humanitarian and historical impact on neighbouring countries.

“This problem is very well known to us. We currently have more than 500,000 Congolese refugees in Uganda. They are part of nearly two million refugees we host from the region," he said, according to a release from the Presidential Press Unit (PPU).

Museveni said that many of the refugees come from neighbouring countries and share ethnic and cultural ties with communities in Uganda, particularly in western and South-Western parts of the country.

“Many of these people are members of our own tribes, those from Congo are the same as those in western and south-Western Uganda. We know this problem very well,” he stated.

President Museveni also expressed concern that despite the long history of the conflict and its clearly identifiable grievances, progress toward a lasting solution has been slow.

“It is a shame that it is taking so long to solve,” he lamented.

He added that the nature of the conflict has evolved over time, and the President recalled earlier international debates over Congo’s future.

“In the past, there were even discussions about breaking up Congo, the Katanga Secession, and all that, but luckily today, nobody is talking about breaking up Congo. What we are dealing with now are grievances,” he highlighted.

He said such grievances can be addressed through sustained dialogue and a clear understanding of the realities on the ground.

President Museveni further welcomed Gnassingbé's panel and thanked its members for engaging on an issue that continues to affect the entire Great Lakes region.

On his part, Togo's Gnassingbé thanked President Museveni for hosting the delegation and commended Uganda’s continued commitment to regional peace and stability.

“On behalf of the delegation, I would like to sincerely thank Your Excellency for the warm reception accorded to us,” President Gnassingbé said.

He acknowledged President Museveni’s longstanding role in regional mediation efforts, noting that the panel values his experience and guidance in addressing complex conflicts on the continent.

Relatedly, Obasanjo emphasised that sustainable peace in Eastern DRC requires solutions that are rooted in Africa’s realities, warning against overreliance on externally driven approaches.

“This crisis is not only about the M23. Many grievances have not been adequately addressed. Solutions imported from Washington, Doha, Paris, or elsewhere may be helpful, but they cannot by themselves provide a complete or lasting solution.”

He said the panel had deliberately taken responsibility to pursue African-led responses to African challenges, while remaining open to constructive support from international partners.

“As facilitators, we have taken it upon ourselves to find African solutions to African problems. We see President Museveni as uniquely positioned, and we are walking with him to see how these African solutions can be realised,” Obasanjo said.

He added, stating that the involvement of partners outside the continent should be complementary, not dominant. Obasanjo added, “We are not pushing away those who have shown interest, whether from Washington, Qatar, France, or elsewhere, because they are helpful in the process we are trying to advance."

He also thanked President Museveni for receiving the delegation at short notice and underscored the importance of correctly diagnosing the root causes of the DRC conflict.

“The issue that has brought us together is one we are all familiar with. It is the challenge of managing or mismanaging diversity within the DRC, and the relationship between the DRC and its neighbours,” he said.

“In order to solve the problem, we must diagnose it properly and administer the right medicine,” he added.

Obasanjo welcomed the African Union’s leadership in the peace process, including the establishment of a joint headquarters in Addis Ababa, and reiterated the need for Africa to take ownership of its peace and security agenda.

“We have taken it upon ourselves to find African solutions to African problems,” he noted.

Dignitaries at the meeting included former Prime Minister, Amama Mbabazi, several cabinet ministers and   Permanent Representative of Uganda to the United Nations, Adonia Ayebare.