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Faure Gnassingbé appointed mediator for Congo-M23 talks, replacing João Lourenço amid growing conflict concerns.
The African Union has approved the appointment of Faure Gnassingbé as the new mediator ahead of the first direct negotiations between the M23 rebels and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. João Lourenço, the president of Angola will be replaced by the president of Togo who has stated that he wants to concentrate on his role as AU chairperson.
In a lightning-fast attack that began in January, the Rwanda-backed rebel group took control of the two biggest cities in eastern Congo after years of conflict. Thousands of people died as a result and hundreds of thousands more were displaced from their homes.
Lourenco stressed the worsening humanitarian situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and stated that the mediation process needed to pick up speed. There have been concerns that the conflict might turn into a more extensive regional conflict. In expectation of scheduled peace negotiations with the government in Doha next Wednesday, M23 rebels withdrew from the intentionally important town of Walikale this week calling the action a show of goodwill.
The meeting comes after what observers said were private talks between the two sides last week, which offer the best possibility of bringing the conflict to a halt. Others, however, have voiced concerns that if the AU mediation is carried out in parallel with the facilitation procedure in Doha, there would be problems with coordination. Kigali rejects assertions made by the U.N. and Western nations that Rwanda has sent arms and troops to the M23, an ethnic Tutsi-led organization.
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