Museveni hosts AU–EAC–SADC peace panel on Eastern DRC crisis

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on Tuesday hosted leaders of the African Union–East African Community–Southern African Development Community (AU–EAC–SADC) panel of facilitators for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) peace process at State House, Entebbe, as regional efforts to stabilise Eastern DRC intensify.

The high-level meeting was part of ongoing initiatives aimed at advancing dialogue and securing lasting peace in the conflict-affected eastern regions of the DRC. The panel, on a working visit to Uganda, is chaired by President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé of Togo and comprises former African heads of state mandated to support regional dialogue and strengthen collective responses to the protracted conflict.

Members of the panel include former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, former Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde, former Botswana President Dr. Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi, and former Central African Republic President Catherine Samba-Panza.

Addressing the delegation, President Museveni said the conflict in the DRC is well understood within the region and should not be allowed to persist, given its prolonged 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,” Museveni said.

He noted that many of the refugees share ethnic and cultural ties with communities in western and south-western Uganda, underscoring the deep regional linkages affected by the conflict.

“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 added.

The President expressed concern over the slow pace of progress towards a lasting solution despite the conflict’s long history and clearly identifiable grievances.

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

Placing the crisis in historical context, Museveni recalled earlier debates about the future of the Congolese state, including discussions around secession, noting that the nature of the conflict has since evolved.

“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 said, stressing that such grievances can be resolved through sustained dialogue grounded in realities on the ground.

Museveni welcomed the delegation and thanked President Gnassingbé for leading the panel, reaffirming Uganda’s commitment to regional peace and stability.

On his part, President Gnassingbé thanked Museveni for hosting the delegation and praised Uganda’s continued role in promoting regional stability.

“On behalf of the delegation, I would like to sincerely thank Your Excellency for the warm reception accorded to us,” Gnassingbé said, noting that the panel values Museveni’s experience in regional mediation.

Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo emphasised that sustainable peace in Eastern DRC must be anchored in African-led solutions, cautioning against overreliance on externally driven approaches.

“This crisis is not only about the M23. There are many grievances that 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,” Obasanjo said.

He said the panel had taken responsibility to pursue African solutions to African problems, 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 that external partners should play a complementary role rather than dominate the process 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.”

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.

The meeting was also attended by several Ugandan government officials, including ministers, Uganda’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Adonia Ayebare, and former Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Amama Mbabazi.