Angolan President Joao Lourenco, who currently serves as the acting chair of the African Union (AU), has proposed Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbe as the AU mediator in the peace process between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, according to a statement released Saturday by the Angolan presidency on social media.

The proposal was made during the first meeting of the Bureau of the Assembly of the AU on the situation in eastern DRC, convened by Lourenço the same day. The meeting was attended by the presidents of Ghana and Mauritania, the vice president of Burundi, and Tanzania’s foreign minister, the statement said.

During the meeting, Lourenco highlighted the worsening humanitarian crisis in eastern DRC, stressing the immense suffering of civilians and its destabilising effect on regional peace.

Lourenco, “underscored the grave and deteriorating humanitarian situation in eastern DRC, drawing attention to the immense suffering of civilians and its destabilising impact on regional peace.”

“The proposal was endorsed by the Assembly Bureau Members,” it said.

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, expressed gratitude and appreciation to Lourenco for his dedication to advancing peace in the region.

He affirmed the need for a detailed roadmap to guide the mediation process forward, adding that the commission will follow the procedure to endorse the nomination of the Togolese president.

Once endorsed, Gnassingbe will work with a panel of five facilitators recently appointed by the heads of state of the Southern African Development Community and the East African Community blocs, including former presidents Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, Kgalema Motlanthe of South Africa, Sahle-Work Zewde of Ethiopia and Central African Republic’s Catherine Samba-Panza.

Angola had announced its withdrawal from the mediation role on March 24, just two months after assuming the AU’s rotating chairmanship.

The statement cited “expanded responsibilities and commitments as chair of the continental organisation” and the imperative to “ensure continuity in leadership and momentum in the mediation process” as reasons for Angola’s decision to step down.