Uhuru Kenyatta, former Kenyan president and facilitator in the Nairobi peace process arriving in Bujumbura
Regional leaders are meeting at the 11th Summit of the Regional Oversight Mechanism (ROM) of Addis-Ababa Framework Agreement which kicked off in Bujumbura, Burundi this May 6, 2023 to discuss progress made in attaining peace and security in the region.
The ROM is determined to end the cycles of conflict and violence that had characterized Africa’s Great Lakes region, particularly the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), 11 countries of the region, including Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, the DRC, Rwanda, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia signed, on 24 February 2013, the Peace, Security and Cooperation (PSC) Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the region
The meeting is organized with the support of the Guarantor institutions of the Framework agreement, namely the United Nations (UN), the African Union (AU), the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
In attendance are several Heads of State and Government from the signatory countries of the Framework agreement; including Rwanda’s Prime Minister Dr. Édouard Ngirente who represented President Paul Kagame, President Félix Tshisekedi of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC); Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of Uganda, Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa.
The meeting is also attended by António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General, Dr. Philippe Mpango, Vice President of Tanzania and former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta among high representatives of the Guarantor institutions of the Framework, namely the Africa Union (AU), United Nations (UN), International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The meeting will also discuss the contribution of the Contact and Coordination Group on Non-Military Measures to efforts aimed at strengthening security cooperation for the eradication of armed groups in eastern DRC. The meeting will also consider a draft roadmap for the revitalization of the Framework Agreement with a view to giving it a new impetus in order to respond more effectively to peace and security concerns in the region.
The meeting will make a special mention of the implementation of the Action Plan (2021-2023) of the UN Strategy for Peace Consolidation, Conflict Prevention and Conflict Resolution in the Great Lakes region (2020-2030). The Strategy aims to support the countries and peoples of the region in their efforts for lasting peace, security and development.
At the end of this high-level meeting, the President of the Republic of Burundi, Évariste Ndayishimiye, will assume the Presidency of the Regional Oversight Mechanism of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for one year, succeeding the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Félix Antoine Tshisekedi.
A communiqué by the Heads of State and Government of the signatory countries of the Framework will be issued.
