Deeper collaboration is paramount to attainment of regional peace & security Kenyan delegation tells conference on the Great Lakes Regions

Monday 21st April, 2025
Luanda, Angola

There is an urgent need for the global community to support regional efforts for restoration of peace and stability within the Great Lakes Region, a Kenyan Parliamentary delegation has noted.

The delegation from the Kenyan Parliamentary Caucus on the International Conference (ICLR) on the Great Lakes Region made this submission during an ongoing ICGLR meeting in Luanda Angola, where the peace and security situation in the region was among the top agenda.

The delegation led by Senate Speaker, the Rt. Hon. Amason Kingi, is attending the 15th Ordinary Session of the Plenary Assembly and related meetings of the Forum of Parliaments of Member States and related meetings of ICGLR, currently being hosted by Angola.

During a meeting of the ICGLR Committee on Peace and Security, regional members and the Kenyan delegation noted with concern that the recent escalation in conflicts including some bordering on civil war within some Member States had come with devastating regional repurcussions.

Buuri MP, Hon. Mugambi Rindikiri who represented the Kenyan delegation at the Peace and Security Commitee Meeting noted that there was need for ICGLR to broaden its scope of information gathering on the magnitude of the conflicts and humanitarian crisis. 

He added that there was need for clarity on the wording of recommendations arising from such factfinding missions to fasttrack adoption of the same by the ICGLR member countries.

"The humanitarian crisis in the individual countries has come at hefty cost to the rest of the region. We need to harmonize our efforts and iron out some of the sticky issues to restore peace and human dignity in the region," noted Hon. Rindikiri.

The Committee noted that conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, South Sudan and the Central African Republic had inflicted enormous cost at national and regional level. 

Committee Members further pointed out that stability and security in the ICGLR depended on a rigorous and shared diagnosis of threats and existing peace efforts. 

The forum also stressed the need for ICGLR Member States to renew their commitments to resolving the challenges of insecurity and poverty. 

The Conference continues tomorrow with a scheduled meeting of the ICGLR Executive Commitee of the 15th Conference of the Speakers and Plenary meetings on Thursday and Friday.

ICGLR Member states are Angola, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Congo, Sudan, South Sudan, Zambia, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda Burundi and the Central African Republic (CAR).