Former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta (L) and former Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde (C), both members of an African Union panel of facilitators, arrive for a meeting in Goma, capital of North Kivu Province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Oct. 5, 2026. (Xinhua)
GOMA, DR Congo, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) Panel of Facilitators on Wednesday called for strict respect for ceasefire commitments and continued engagement in the ongoing diplomatic peace process following consultations in Goma, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a major urban hub seized by the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group.
A delegation of the panel held consultations in Goma earlier this week with representatives of the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC, known as MONUSCO, UN and humanitarian agencies, as well as M23, according to a statement issued by the AU.
The delegation was led by Sahle-Work Zewde, former president of Ethiopia and deputy chairperson of the panel, and also included former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and former Botswanan President Mokgweetsi Masisi.
"Lasting peace requires political dialogue," the panel said, encouraging continued engagement in good faith in the Doha process. It called for full cooperation with verification mechanisms and restraint from actions that could undermine the peace process.
Qatar has mediated talks between the DRC government and the M23 since March 2025, hosting several rounds of negotiations under what has become known as the Doha peace process. The talks led to the signing of a declaration of principles in July 2025 and a framework agreement in November, with the two sides pledging to build trust through dialogue, advance stabilization in stages and address the root causes of the conflict.
The panel also stressed the urgent need to protect civilians and ensure safe and unhindered humanitarian access. It said the outcomes of the consultations would be conveyed to the AU mediator and the DRC government, while engagement would continue to build confidence and advance the peace process.
Speaking at a press conference in Goma on Wednesday, Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Congo River Alliance (AFC), a politico-military coalition allied with the M23, called on mediators and facilitators to "go beyond general statements."
Nangaa said mediation efforts should lead to "precise, clear and verifiable commitments," backed by mechanisms to monitor their implementation. He also said the Doha process could only be sustainable if it addressed the root causes of the conflict and ensured concrete measures to protect civilians.
Since January 2025, the M23 rebel group has intensified offensives in the eastern provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu, seizing several key cities, including Goma and Bukavu. ■
Corneille Nangaa (R), leader of the Congo River Alliance, a politico-military coalition allied with the March 23 Movement, speaks during a press conference in Goma, capital of North Kivu Province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Oct. 7, 2026. (Xinhua)