The 100-day mark of the occupation of Goma by the Rwandan-backed AFC-M23 forces was just passed in May 2025.

And yet, there has been no shortage of initiatives to silence the guns. There was the Nairobi process, followed by the Luanda process led by Angolan President João Lourenço, and then, on behalf of the African Union, Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé took over as African mediator.

The Doha negotiations.

However, the first significant breakthrough will come from Qatar, where Presidents Tshisékédi and Kagamé will meet in mid-March for the first time in a very long time to lay the groundwork for in-depth discussions. Moreover, to everyone’s surprise, the communiqué following this meeting stated that the two presidents “reaffirmed the commitment of all parties to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire.” But this hope was short-lived.

The war would continue unabated, particularly in South Kivu, where AFC-M23 fighters were inexorably advancing toward Bukavu and throughout South Kivu.

The Washington Negotiations.

The United States then took over, acting yet as another actor in the peace process in eastern DRC.

In Washington, the US capital, on April 25, under diplomatic pressure from the State Department, the foreign ministers of the DRC, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, and of Rwanda, Olivier Nduhungirehe, signed a new agreement intended to lead to all-out negotiations to restore peace in eastern DRC definitively. According to the US State Department, the Washington Declaration aims to “promote peace and economic development in the Great Lakes region, while ending the war in eastern DRC.” ​​And, once again, expectations will be dashed, as the war continues unabated, even though a peace agreement is expected to be signed in June.

African determination to find an African solution

At the 12th Africa CEO Forum in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa reflected on this conflict, stating: “In eastern DRC, the processes that have taken place on the continent, whether the Nairobi process, the Luanda process, or the AU process, have all been very, very essential in laying the foundations for peacebuilding.”

Africa must therefore tirelessly pursue its mediation efforts so that, as President Ramaphosa wishes, “African solutions are found to African problems.”

Thus, Togolese President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, the African Union’s designated mediator, traveled successively to the DRC in mid-April, then immediately after to Rwanda for diplomatic consultations to resolve the crisis in eastern DRC. During these meetings, President reaffirmed “his commitment to working with other partners to foster lasting peace between Rwanda and the DRC.” His Foreign Minister, Robert Dussey, will continue these consultations thereafter.

The United Nations Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region, Huang Sia, agreed to support and assist the Togolese mediation.

Many Africans would like to see this African initiative for peace in the DRC conclusive, or at least decisive, for a permanent ceasefire.

The complementarity of the various commitments.

Moreover, this complementarity is highlighted in the Washington document, which states: “The Declaration builds on the efforts of the African Union and other regional leaders. It charts a path toward peace, stability, and integrated economic development in eastern DRC, essential to ending the conflict and enabling the region to reach its full potential.”

Despite all these efforts, the war continues in eastern DRC, even though we were to say that the signing of a final agreement would be envisaged during June in Washington.

Ongoing negotiations aim to refine the agreement’s content, and the reality on the ground will test the implementation of any ceasefire. Time will tell whether this hard-fought agreement will truly mark the beginning of a lasting peace in eastern DRC.

The only common thread running through these various mediations in the eastern DRC, is peace. The Americans make no secret of their interest in the DRC’s strategic raw materials, while Qatar would strengthen its image as a global peacemaker by bringing the Rwandan and Congolese fraternal enemies closer together. The Africans, for their part, will have done their duty.

Sources : Media Congo- Radio Okapi – DW – LE POINT – Savoir News –