In Lomé, Togo chose to break with its declaratory diplomacy surrounding the crisis in eastern DRC. The high-level meeting of January 17th signaled a clear intention: to reorganize African action and test its real effectiveness. At the heart of this process lies a simple but crucial requirement: to produce results.

While eastern Democratic Republic of Congo remains one of the continent's most persistent conflict zones, Lomé emerged on Saturday, January 17, as a space for political clarification. By hosting this high-level meeting, Togo did not seek to multiply symbolic gestures, but rather to refocus African action on its recurring weakness: implementation.

Under the leadership of Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, President of the Council of the Togolese Republic and designated mediator of the African Union, the Lomé process was based on a principle of responsibility. The aim was not to add yet another framework, but to examine the continent's collective capacity to organize its peace mechanisms and to assume the political consequences thereof.

A diplomacy of method

The meeting of January 17th was part of a carefully orchestrated diplomatic escalation. The day before, a technical session had aligned the actors involved, clarified roles, and structured priorities. This preparatory step reflects a deliberate break with usual practices: here, the method precedes the announcement, and coordination takes precedence over the spectacle.

In an African context marked by the coexistence of multiple mediation initiatives, Lomé defends a fundamental principle: fragmentation weakens action. The proliferation of approaches surrounding the Congolese crisis has ultimately led to a dilution of responsibilities and a loss of strategic clarity. In response, Togo advocates for a simplified, managed, and coherent framework capable of linking political decision-making, institutional coordination, and operational implementation.

This approach reflects a conviction: Africa lacks neither diagnoses nor commitments, but rather continuity in action. The Lomé meeting thus aims to bridge the gap between diplomatic rhetoric and its concrete effects on the ground.

Political responsibility and the demand for results

The message delivered in Lomé is unambiguous. Peace can no longer be measured by the number of meetings held or communiqués issued. It must be judged by its tangible effects: the security of the population, access to essential services, the stabilization of territories, and the restoration of trust.

From this perspective, African mediation is called upon to shift its approach. The focus is no longer on institutional innovation, but on rigorously implementing existing mechanisms. Clarifying decision-making processes, strengthening coordination among stakeholders, and ensuring long-term sustainability become the minimum requirements for credibility.

By placing Lomé at the heart of this dynamic, Togo is adopting a demanding stance: that of a facilitator who rejects complacent diplomacy and holds each actor accountable. The meeting of January 17th thus appears as a pivotal moment, not because of its solemnity, but because of the scrutiny it imposes on African action itself.

For the continent, the challenge is now clear: to demonstrate that peace can be conceived, conducted and consolidated by Africa, not as a principle, but as a sustainable practice.