• France and Togo will co-host an international conference on October 30 to support peace and prosperity in the Great Lakes region.

• Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbé, serving as African Union mediator in the Congo–Rwanda crisis, will lead the Togolese delegation.

• The meeting will mobilize the international community to address the humanitarian crisis in eastern DRC and promote regional economic cooperation.

France will host an international conference on October 30 aimed at advancing peace and prosperity in the Great Lakes region of Africa, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs said.

The event will be co-organized with Togo, whose President of Council, Faure Gnassingbé, currently serves as the African Union’s mediator in the ongoing crisis between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda.

Through this conference, Paris and Lomé aim to mobilize the international community to address the deteriorating humanitarian situation, particularly in eastern DRC, and across the broader Great Lakes region.

According to the French Foreign Ministry, discussions will focus on “the urgency of a concrete response to the needs of local populations.”

The organizers said the meeting seeks to strengthen global engagement in favor of peace, stability, and development in the region, while supporting ongoing diplomatic efforts led by the United States, Qatar, and the African Union.

The conference will also explore ways to deepen regional economic integration, viewed as a key driver for sustainable peace. The initiative will take place on the sidelines of the Paris Peace Forum, reinforcing its broader agenda of conflict resolution and multilateral cooperation.

For Togo, this initiative comes as President of Council Faure Gnassingbé intensifies consultations in Lomé with various stakeholders involved in the regional conflict.

The international meeting will provide him with an opportunity to present the Togolese mediation’s proposals and gather input from international partners in a collaborative approach to conflict management.

Several studies have stressed that lasting peace and prosperity in the Great Lakes region depend on stronger regional institutions, political stability, economic cooperation, and sustainable resource management.

This article was initially in French by Esaïe Edoh

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum