Multipartite meeting in support of the peace process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Great Lakes region (19 January 2026)

France welcomes the High-Level Meeting on the Coherence and Consolidation of the Peace Process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Great Lakes Region, which was held in Lomé on 17 January. It fully supports the initiative of Mr Faure Gnassingbé, President of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Togo and African Union mediator for resolving the conflict in eastern DRC.

France participated in this meeting which contributes to the collective efforts, aimed at bringing about a political settlement of the Great Lakes crisis, deployed inter alia through the mediations, backed by France, of the United States, Qatar and the African Union, building on the Luanda and Nairobi processes.

Following the M23 offensive supported by the Rwandan Defence Forces, de-escalation, the effective, lasting, verifiable cessation of hostilities and of the rebel group’s offensive, and the Rwandan forces’ withdrawal from DRC are essential. France calls on the parties to comply with the Washington agreements and the Doha Framework of 15 November, which must remain a shared political goal.

Building on the Paris Conference for Peace and Prosperity in the Great Lakes Region of 30 October 2025, co-chaired with Togo, France reiterates the urgency of the humanitarian crisis in eastern DRC and the Great Lakes countries. In Lomé it presented an initial progress report on fulfilment of the financial commitments announced during the Paris conference. Of the €1.5 billion announced in Paris by 70 States and international organizations, all of the emergency humanitarian funding, i.e. €850 million, has already been disbursed. France pays tribute to the commitment of the participating States and encourages those who have yet to make disbursements to do so in the next few weeks. This funding meets the needs identified by humanitarian bodies to provide people with essential services and increase the protection of civilians, particularly in the areas affected by violence and displacements.

Efforts must converge on removing all humanitarian obstacles. France reminds the parties of the commitments made in Paris to work towards reopening Goma airport to humanitarian flights. France is ready to contribute, with its partners and in conjunction with the United Nations, to the necessary logistical effort and coordination for this.

To achieve lasting peace, and following on from the Congolese churches’ consultations, France wants to see a national dialogue held in DRC, a condition for political harmony and national unity.