By Spy Uganda
A high-level African Union (AU) delegation meeting in Uganda has reaffirmed the principle that African challenges must be resolved through African solutions, rejecting reliance on European or foreign interventions in addressing the continent’s conflicts.
The delegation, led by President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé of Togo, who was recently appointed as the AU mediator for the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) crisis, convened in Kampala as part of renewed diplomatic efforts aimed at restoring peace and stability in the conflict-affected region.
President Gnassingbé opened the engagement by thanking God and praying for wisdom and guidance to help bring an end to the protracted crisis in eastern Congo.
The delegation includes a team of seasoned African statespersons, among them former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, and former Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde. The leaders stressed that African leaders are best placed to understand the continent’s security dynamics and craft sustainable, home-grown solutions.
During the meeting, the delegation formally requested President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to renew his active involvement in resolving the DRC crisis, citing his deep historical understanding of the region and longstanding role in regional peace initiatives. President Museveni welcomed the request and pledged Uganda’s full support to the peace process.
“We shall play our role to ensure that the problems in Congo come to an end,” President Museveni said, noting that Uganda currently hosts more than 500,000 Congolese refugees, who form part of the over two million refugees living in the country. He added that refugees from other neighboring countries are also in Uganda as a result of regional instability, emphasizing that the root causes of these conflicts are well known and must be addressed collectively.
Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo said the meeting was guided by the conviction that the African Union must be at the center of resolving Africa’s challenges. He revealed that the AU has already established joint headquarters in Addis Ababa to strengthen coordination and promote African-driven peace efforts.
Obasanjo cautioned against external dependency, arguing that Africa’s problems cannot be solved in Washington or Europe. “Solutions cannot be imported. Europe cannot build Africa for Africans. We must take responsibility for our own future,” he said.
He added that the AU delegation has engaged all key stakeholders in the conflict, including the governments of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as the M23, expressing confidence that the African-led roadmap they have adopted will yield results.
The visit of the AU delegation signals renewed regional determination to end the conflict in eastern DRC through dialogue, coordinated leadership, and sustained African ownership of the peace process.
