Kenya has reiterated its dedication to fostering peace, security, and development in the Great Lakes Region, with Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi emphasizing the nation’s commitment to collaborative efforts aimed at resolving conflicts in the area. Mudavadi, also the Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, called on member states of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) to continue supporting peace restoration efforts, particularly in conflict-prone areas such as Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Sudan, and the Central African Republic.
Speaking during the 18th Ordinary Session of the Inter-Ministerial Committee of the ICGLR in Luanda, Angola, Mudavadi underscored the need to leverage the region’s abundant natural resources and human capital to achieve sustainable peace and economic prosperity. He lauded the ICGLR’s founding principles of interstate trust, sovereignty, and non-aggression as key to addressing political instability and conflict.
“The establishment of the ICGLR was based on the recognition that political instability and conflicts in the Great Lakes Region can be resolved through the establishment of interstate relations based on trust, sovereignty, and non-aggression,” Mudavadi said.
Recognizing Key Peace Initiatives
Mudavadi commended the outcomes of recent high-level forums, including the Quadripartite Summit and the Regional Oversight Mechanism Summit, as well as peace initiatives such as the Luanda-led process and the East African Community initiative. These efforts, he noted, have made significant strides in addressing the challenges in the eastern DRC and underscored the need for harmonized approaches to peacebuilding.
“These forums have underlined the need for harmonizing the various peace initiatives for coherence and unity of purpose. It is my sincere hope that these efforts, alongside other ongoing initiatives, will work together towards our common goal,” Mudavadi added.
Addressing Regional Challenges
While applauding progress, Mudavadi expressed regret over the continued regional conflicts, violent extremism, and humanitarian crises that have afflicted millions. He called for collective efforts to restore hope and improve the lives of affected populations.
“We need to work together to assure and give new hope to the suffering children, mothers, and fathers that we are committed to their prospects for a better tomorrow,” he stated.
Kenya highlighted its support for ICGLR initiatives such as the establishment of Early Warning and Early Response Systems and the Gender-Responsive Mediation Coordination Mechanism (GMCM). Mudavadi emphasized that these initiatives require both policy and financial backing from all member states to succeed.
Proposals for Strengthening ICGLR
Kenya proposed several measures to enhance the ICGLR’s effectiveness in addressing emerging regional challenges. Key among them is increasing the frequency of summits from biennial to annual meetings to ensure timely policy adaptation and strategy updates.
Mudavadi also suggested the establishment of a Permanent Representatives Committee of Ambassadors (PRC) in Bujumbura, Burundi. This committee would act as an interface between the ICGLR Secretariat and member states, facilitating quick convening of meetings to address urgent issues.
“Heads of Mission will be equally accredited to the ICGLR in Bujumbura and may be designated as Permanent Representatives to ICGLR. This will allow the ICGLR and the Representatives to readily convene, even at short notice, to advance the region’s peace and security agenda,” he proposed.
Amplifying Youth Voices
Mudavadi reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to amplifying the voices of young people on regional issues, announcing plans to host the Regional Youth Forum and officially launch the ICGLR Youth Forum Secretariat.
The session, chaired by Angola’s Minister of External Relations, Hon. Tete Antonio, brought together over ten foreign ministers from ICGLR member states. Mudavadi was accompanied by key Kenyan officials, including Ambassadors Joyce Mmmaitsi and Daniel Wambura, as well as Kenya’s National Coordinator for EAC and ICGLR, Mr. James Kiiru.
Kenya’s proactive participation underscores its pivotal role in championing peace and stability in the Great Lakes Region, a crucial step towards unlocking the region’s vast economic and developmental potential.
