Southern Africa: SADC, AU and Botswana Co-Host High-Level Harmonisation Meeting to Promote Peace Initiatives in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

What the report says

AllAfrica, carrying a Southern African Development Community press release, reported that SADC, the African Union and Botswana jointly hosted a high-level harmonisation meeting on peace efforts for eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in Gaborone from 24 to 26 July 2026. The session brought together the AU Panel of Facilitators and the Independent Joint Secretariat, with former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo chairing the meeting in his role as head of the AU facilitators’ panel.

According to the report, Obasanjo called for closer coordination among the AU, SADC, the East African Community and other regional bodies, and asked participants to produce practical proposals to accelerate existing peace agreements. Botswana’s Minister of International Relations, Phenyo Butale, linked stability in the DRC to wider regional integration, trade, economic development and the AU’s Agenda 2063 goals.

SADC’s Kula Ishmael Theletsane, representing the SADC executive secretary, said regional actors needed renewed commitment because of worsening security conditions, alleged ceasefire violations, humanitarian pressures and public health concerns. Participants discussed how to align mediation initiatives, strengthen the Independent Joint Secretariat, review priority issues and prepare a six-month strategic roadmap with an operational action plan.

The meeting included representatives connected to the AU-led mediation architecture, including Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbé represented by Yackoley Kokou-Johnson, as well as former leaders from Botswana, Ethiopia, the Central African Republic and Burundi. The report said SADC would continue working with the AU, EAC, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region and other parties to support African-led efforts toward peace and security in eastern DRC and the wider Great Lakes region.