France and Togo unite for peace in the Great Lakes

At the International Conference for Peace and Prosperity in the Great Lakes Region, held on October 30 in Paris, more than €1.5 billion in aid was pledged to support vulnerable populations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

French President Emmanuel Macron made the announcement, highlighting that the funds would go toward essential humanitarian needs such as medicine and food.

The UN’s humanitarian response plan for the DRC is estimated at €2.5 billion, but only 16% of that had been funded before the Paris gathering. While the headline figure is symbolically powerful, observers caution that €500 million had already been committed earlier this year, and some of the pledges were not new but reaffirmations of previous promises.

Despite the lack of clarity around disbursement timelines and fresh commitments, the conference is widely hailed as a diplomatic success. It brought the humanitarian crisis in eastern DRC back into the international spotlight, attracting over 70 delegations, including major Western powers and regional stakeholders.

Togo’s Bold Stand for African-Led Accountability

Faure Gnassingbé, President of the Council and designated mediator of the African Union, delivered a strong message during the summit. He called for enhanced African oversight of humanitarian aid, warning against its manipulation in war zones.

“Aid must relieve suffering without creating dependency. It must stabilize, not entrench power imbalances,” Gnassingbé declared.

He also condemned illegal taxation of aid convoys, resource diversion, and the broader economic exploitation fueling armed conflict.

“We must trace every resource. Informal mining and smuggling continue to fund militias and impoverish communities,” he emphasized.

Macron also announced the reopening of Goma’s airport in the coming weeks, exclusively for humanitarian flights. New humanitarian corridors, particularly from Burundi, are being considered. However, these efforts remain subject to negotiations with M23 rebels and Rwanda.

The conference also lent political backing to ongoing peace initiatives:

• The African Union-led mediation (via Togo)
• U.S.-facilitated talks between Rwanda and the DRC
• Qatari mediation between Kinshasa and the M23

Though a ceasefire declaration was signed in Doha in July, and a peace agreement between Rwanda and the DRC was brokered in Washington in June, violence continues in the eastern provinces.

The Paris conference sent a strong signal of international re-engagement with the crisis in eastern Congo. But the real test lies ahead: ensuring that pledged funds translate into effective relief—and that peace efforts lead to lasting stability.

As Faure Gnassingbé reminded the global community, accountability, transparency, and African leadership must be at the heart of any sustainable solution.