AU panel urges ceasefire compliance after Goma talks

The African Union’s Panel of Facilitators urged parties to respect ceasefire commitments, protect civilians and allow safe humanitarian access after consultations in Goma on October 5, 2026. In a statement issued two days later, the panel also called for cooperation with ceasefire verification mechanisms and good-faith engagement in the Doha peace process.

The consultations brought the AU delegation together with representatives of AFC/M23, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism Plus. The AU said discussions covered the peace process, security and humanitarian conditions, and measures to build confidence.

The delegation was led by Sahle-Work Zewde and included former heads of state Uhuru Kenyatta and Mokgweetsi Masisi. The AU described the Goma meeting as part of its mediation efforts for the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Panel calls for ceasefire compliance and civilian protection

On the political process, the panel urged good-faith participation in the Doha process and strict respect for ceasefire commitments. It also called on the parties to cooperate fully with verification mechanisms and refrain from actions that could undermine the peace process. The requests set out the panel’s position on the steps it considers necessary; they were not presented as terms accepted by the parties.

The panel’s calls on civilian safety included protecting civilians, particularly women and girls, preventing sexual and gender-based violence, and ensuring accountability for violations. It also called for safe and unhindered humanitarian access and protection for essential services and educational facilities. These requests addressed both immediate safety and access to services, but the AU’s statement did not report that the consultations had changed conditions on the ground.

Reuters reported that fighting continued, placing the panel’s ceasefire calls against the backdrop of ongoing conflict. The AU statement reported no agreement or specific commitments, and did not say the parties had accepted the panel’s requests or that conditions had changed.

AU to relay consultation outcomes to mediator

The panel said it would convey the consultations’ outcomes to the AU mediator and the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and continue its engagement. The statement described this as a next step in the AU’s mediation effort, not as a negotiated settlement or a ceasefire outcome.

Reuters reported that the delegation met Rwanda’s foreign minister on October 6, the day after the Goma consultations, and that talks with the Congolese government in Kinshasa were expected. The report described those Kinshasa consultations as planned; it did not confirm that they had taken place.