From words to action: Africa faces its peace test in Lomé

Meeting on Saturday in Lomé, African actors involved in the peace process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Great Lakes region were confronted with a stark reality: the time for words has run out.

Speaking at the opening of the high-level meeting on coherence and consolidation of the peace process, Faure Gnassingbé, mediator for the African Union, set an uncompromising tone. Repeated diagnoses are no longer acceptable. What Africa needs now is coherent, decisive action.

Gnassingbé warned that Lomé must not become “just another conference.” This meeting, he said, must be a moment of truth for African diplomacy. The credibility of the continent is at stake.

Despite recent efforts that have preserved a fragile political space, the situation on the ground remains volatile. What is required now are durable compromises — agreements strong enough to withstand time, regional shocks, and international pressure. Peace declarations alone are meaningless. Peace must be built, consolidated, and defended.

The assessment was blunt. Fragmentation is weakening peace efforts. Too many initiatives. Too many mediations. Not enough coordination. “The unified African process exists. The framework is there. But a framework without results is an empty promise,” Gnassingbé said.

The priority is clear: move from architecture to action. Clarify roles. Strengthen coordination. Establish a realistic, sequenced roadmap focused on delivery, not diplomacy for diplomacy’s sake.

In closing, Gnassingbé delivered the most powerful reminder of all: peace only matters if it is lived by the people. Behind agreements and mechanisms are shattered lives, displaced communities, and children robbed of a future. Peace is measured in security restored, access to healthcare and education, and dignity regained.

The message from Lomé could not be clearer. A diplomacy disconnected from realities on the ground produces only fragile peace. Africa is at a crossroads — and it no longer has the luxury of failure.