Great Lakes leaders adopt Sudanese proposal on rebel movements: minister

October 20, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – The 7th summit of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) has adopted a Sudanese suggestion to not assist or harbour armed groups which threaten peace and security in the region.

The summit, which covered the political and security situation in the region, was held in Brazzaville, capital of the Republic of Congo from 13 to 14 October under the theme “Fast-Tracking Implementation of the Pact to Facilitate Stability and Development in the Great Lakes Region”.

Sudan’s delegation to the summit was led by the Vice-President Hassabo Mohamed Abdel-Rahman.

Sudan’s State Foreign Minister Atta al-Manan Bakhit told the official news agency SUNA that the meeting agreed to carry out a joint work among the Lakes countries to combat the negative movements.

He described Sudan’s participation in the ICGLR meeting as “important and fruitful”, revealing the leaders of the Lakes region have adopted a Sudanese suggestion to refrain from harbouring or supporting the negative movements.

“The [Sudanese] proposal was met with an unparalleled response from the member countries in the Lakes region,” he said.

The Sudanese minister pointed out that the summit discussed the peace and security situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), saying the latter is among the most affected by activities of the negative movements.

He added the summit also discussed the situation in South Sudan and the Central African Republic (CAR), saying the two countries are suffering from unstable political and security conditions.

The ICGLR, created in 1994 under the auspices of the African Union, is made up of Angola, Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia.

(ST)