Mudavadi calls for stronger peace efforts in Great Lakes Region

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi. [Standard, File]

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi says Kenya is committed to achieving peace, security and development in the Great Lakes Region.

Speaking at the 18th Ordinary Session of the Inter-Ministerial Committee of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) in Luanda, Angola, Mudavadi called on all member states to support peace efforts in conflict-prone areas, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic and Sudan.

Mudavadi noted that the region’s natural resources and human capital should drive efforts to promote peace and stability  for economic development.

“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,” he said.

He praised the outcomes of recent ICGLR forums, including the Quadripartite Summit and Regional Oversight Mechanism Summit, for advancing peace initiatives, particularly in eastern DRC.

“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.

Mudavadi also expressed concern over rising conflicts and violent extremism in the region, which have worsened humanitarian crises.

“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 noted.

He welcomed ongoing ICGLR initiatives, such as the Early Warning and Early Response Systems and the Gender-Responsive Mediation Coordination Mechanism (GMCM) strategy.

He stressed the need for collective support from all member states.

Mudavadi proposed that the ICGLR Summit meet annually instead of biannually to address the region’s emerging challenges.