A high-level panel of current and former African leaders is meeting in Entebbe, Uganda, to advance a unified, African-led diplomatic effort to end the long-running conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The meeting is led by Togolese President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, who heads the newly consolidated AU-EAC-SADC Panel of Facilitators. The panel includes former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, Sahle-Work Zewde of Ethiopia, Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana, and Catherine Samba-Panza of the Central African Republic. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni is hosting the session.
In a statement, President Museveni welcomed the delegation, reaffirming the region's commitment to dialogue and lasting peace. The meeting represents a concerted effort to harmonize various international and regional peace initiatives into a single, coherent African-led process.
This diplomatic push comes amid ongoing violence in eastern DRC, despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement signed in late 2025. The conflict involves numerous armed groups and has created a severe humanitarian crisis.
The panel's goal is to bridge diplomatic divides and create a practical roadmap addressing the conflict's root causes. The world is watching to see if this consolidated African initiative can achieve a breakthrough where previous efforts have stalled.