Togolese President Gnassingbé will take over from Angolan President João Lourenço, who has expressed his desire to concentrate on his role as AU chairperson.
After a prolonged period of conflict, the Rwanda-backed rebel group known as M23 successfully captured eastern Congo’s two largest cities during a rapid military campaign starting in January.
This led to the tragic loss of thousands of lives and the displacement of hundreds of thousands more.
Emphasizing the escalating humanitarian crisis in eastern DRC, Lourenco stressed the urgency for progress in the mediation process,
there are concerns that the violence could potentially escalate into a broader regional conflict.
Recently, M23 rebels withdrew from the strategically important town of Walikale, describing their withdrawal as a gesture of goodwill prior to the planned peace talks with the government in Doha next Wednesday.
The upcoming meeting follows private discussions held between the two parties last week, and analysts believe these recent developments offer the best chance for a ceasefire.
However, there are concerns about potential coordination issues resulting from the parallel mediation efforts of both the AU and the facilitation process in Doha.
Moreover, the United Nations and Western governments have accused Rwanda of providing arms and troops to the M23, an accusation that Kigali vehemently denies.
