By Diana N. Kintu
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has hosted leaders from the African Union (AU), East African Community (EAC), and Southern African Development Community (SADC) panel of facilitators for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) peace process at State House, Entebbe.
The meeting formed part of ongoing efforts to advance dialogue and stability in eastern DRC.
The high-level panel, chaired by Togolese President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, brings together former African heads of state mandated to support regional dialogue and strengthen collective efforts toward sustainable peace.
Members of the delegation included Olusegun Obasanjo (former President of Nigeria), Uhuru Kenyatta (former President of Kenya), Sahle-Work Zewde (former President of Ethiopia), Dr. Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi (former President of Botswana), and Catherine Samba-Panza (former President of the Central African Republic).
President Museveni told the delegation that the conflict in the DRC is well understood within the region and should not be allowed to persist, given its long-standing humanitarian and historical impact on neighboring countries.
He noted that Uganda currently hosts more than 500,000 Congolese refugees, who form part of nearly two million refugees in the country.
Many of these refugees, he added, share ethnic and cultural ties with Ugandan communities in the western and south-western parts of the country.
“Many of these people are members of our own tribes. We know this problem very well,” President Museveni said.
Museveni expressed concerns that despite the long history of the conflict and its clearly identifiable grievances, progress toward a lasting solution has been slow.
Placing the crisis in historical context, President Museveni recalled earlier debates over Congo’s future, including the Katanga secession, but emphasized that today’s challenges are rooted in grievances that can be addressed through sustained dialogue and a clear understanding of realities on the ground.
President Gnassingbé thanked President Museveni for hosting the delegation and commended 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,” he said, noting Museveni’s longstanding role in mediation efforts and the panel’s appreciation of his experience in addressing complex conflicts.
Former Nigerian President, Mr Obasanjo, emphasized that sustainable peace in eastern DRC requires solutions rooted in Africa’s realities, warning against overreliance on externally driven approaches.
“This crisis is not only about the M23. Many grievances 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,” Mr Obasanjo said.
Obasanjo explained that the panel had deliberately taken responsibility to pursue African-led responses to African challenges, while remaining open to constructive support from international partners.
“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. But as facilitators, we have taken it upon ourselves to find African solutions to African problems,” he added.
He underscored the importance of correctly diagnosing the root causes of the DRC conflict, describing it as a challenge of managing diversity within the DRC and its relationship with neighboring states.
The meeting was also attended by senior Ugandan officials, including Ministers, Ambassador Adonia Ayebare, Permanent Representative of Uganda to the United Nations, and former Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Amama Mbabazi.