Entebbe, Uganda: President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on Tuesday hosted leaders of the AU–EAC–SADC Panel of Facilitators for the Democratic Republic of Congo peace process at State House Entebbe, as regional efforts to stabilise eastern Congo gathered momentum.
The high-level delegation, on a working visit to Uganda, is mandated to advance dialogue and strengthen African-led initiatives aimed at ending decades of conflict in eastern DRC. The panel is chaired by Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, President of the Republic of Togo.
Other members of the panel include former African heads of state Olusegun Obasanjo, Uhuru Kenyatta, Sahle-Work Zewde, Mokgweetsi Masisi, and Catherine Samba-Panza.
Addressing the delegation, President Museveni said the conflict in the DRC is well understood within the region and should not be allowed to persist, given its prolonged humanitarian, historical and regional consequences.
“This problem is very well known to us. We currently have more than 500,000 Congolese refugees in Uganda. They are part of nearly two million refugees we host from the region,” Museveni said.
He noted that many of the displaced persons share ethnic and cultural ties with communities in western and south-western Uganda, underscoring the regional nature of the crisis.
“Many of these people are members of our own tribes. Those from Congo are the same as those in western and south-western Uganda. We know this problem very well,” he added.
The President expressed concern that despite the conflict’s long history and identifiable grievances, progress toward a lasting settlement has been slow. “It is a shame that it is taking so long to solve,” Museveni said.
Placing the crisis in historical context, Museveni recalled earlier debates over the future of the Congo, including past secessionist ideas, noting that the focus has since shifted to addressing deep-rooted grievances.
“In the past, there were even discussions about breaking up Congo — the Katanga secession and all that — but luckily today nobody is talking about breaking up Congo. What we are dealing with now are grievances,” he said, adding that such grievances can be resolved through sustained dialogue grounded in realities on the ground.
Museveni welcomed the visiting panel and thanked its members for engaging on an issue that continues to affect the wider Great Lakes region. “I thank His Excellency, the President of Togo, for coming with this delegation. We are very happy to welcome you here,” he said.
In his remarks, President Gnassingbé thanked Museveni for hosting the delegation and praised Uganda’s continued commitment to regional peace and stability.
“On behalf of the delegation, I would like to sincerely thank Your Excellency for the warm reception accorded to us,” Gnassingbé said, commending Museveni’s long-standing role in regional mediation.
Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo stressed that sustainable peace in eastern DRC must be rooted in African realities, cautioning against overreliance on externally driven solutions.
“This crisis is not only about the M23. There are many grievances that have not been adequately addressed. Solutions imported from Washington, Doha, Paris or elsewhere may be helpful, but they cannot by themselves provide a complete or lasting solution,” Obasanjo said.
He said the panel had deliberately assumed responsibility to pursue African-led responses to African challenges, while remaining open to constructive international support.
“As facilitators, we have taken it upon ourselves to find African solutions to African problems. We see President Museveni as uniquely positioned, and we are walking with him to see how these African solutions can be realised,” Obasanjo said.
Obasanjo added that external partners should play a complementary role rather than dominate the process. “We are not pushing away those who have shown interest — whether from Washington, Qatar, France or elsewhere — because they are helpful in the process we are trying to advance,” he said.
He also emphasized the importance of accurately diagnosing the root causes of the conflict. “The issue that has brought us together is one we are all familiar with. It is the challenge of managing or mismanaging diversity within the DRC and the relationship between the DRC and its neighbours,” Obasanjo said.
“In order to solve the problem, we must diagnose it properly and administer the right medicine.”
The meeting was also attended by senior Ugandan officials, including the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Uganda to the United Nations Adonia Ayebare, and former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi, alongside ministers and senior government officials.
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