Masisi to mediate in DRC

Former President, Mokgweetsi Masisi says his appointment in the African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) Panel of Designated Facilitators is a great honour and privilege for him, the country and Africa.

Speaking to Botswana Guardian upon arriving from Togo, Masisi said the appointment was a real privilege and honour. This followed an invitation from Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, President of the Council of the Republic of Togo, Chair and Facilitator of the meeting of appointed African Union peace mediators in the ongoing conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Masisi says the role offers him a meaningful opportunity to contribute to peace efforts in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). “It gives me a chance to further apply the values and capabilities instilled in me by my own country. It gives a lot of credibility to Botswana and the quality of Botswana in the way we do our business and clearly, it is a sign of good work that I did when I was chairing the SADC Troika organ. It was not easy, I had to do a lot of persuasion.'

He said this time around he has been deployed to help his brethren in the DRC. 'I am very emboldening because I am an African and like we all are, we are all part of DRC as much as DRC is part of us. DRC has potential to be the richest in the world and there is no way that DRC cannot help anyone of us and there is no way in which we can ignore it.' He said and hinted on a way forward: 'We have a strategy, for now we have a schedule to meet with all the parties.'

His appointment enabled him to join other former presidents as additional member to the Panel of Facilitators while others are Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, Sahle-Work Zewde (Ethiopia), Olusegun Obasanjo (Nigeria) and the only lady Catherine Samba-Panza of Central African Republic. Masisi spoke in volumes of all stakeholders, saying all the parties are giving this issue total support. Masisi also set the record straight that he was not appointed by the Zimbabwean President, Emmerson Mnangagwa. 'He offered my name and as it would be regular and normal, the protocol is he had to talk to my head of state. The letter of appointment was from the mediator. The mediator does not come with names, he gets them from the regions and the Chairman of SADC president Mnangagwa on behalf of SADC.'

The appointment follows a decision of the Joint EAC-SADC Summit held on 24th March 2025 to appoint facilitators from each of the five African Union regions. He said their Specific mandate is to harmonise and bring about lasting peace. They will not start afresh but rather harmonise the Nairobi process that was led by EEC and the Luanda process, led by SADC through president Lorenzo. Further that, both DRC and Rwanda have pledged their support. 'AU is the one that appointed the Facilitator, who took over from the Angolan President, Jaoa Lorenco, who felt that there was need for support and help hence the appointment of the five of us to be co- facilitators.' They have not been given time frame as they have to consult extensively for a very complex problem that has been going on since DRC independence. Masisi becomes the second former head of state from Botswana to serve in the DRC internal conflict after the late Sir Ketumile Masire.