By Victor Dodo
A fact-finding mission from the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region has met with the president of the Democratic Republic of Congo Felix Tshisekedi and South Sudan’s speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba discussing political, security and humanitarian situation in Sudan, South Sudan, Eastern DR Congo, and Central African Republic.
The mission was led by South Sudan’s Speaker of the National Legislative Assembly, Rt. Hon. Jemma Nunu Kumba. who doubles as sitting president of the Forum of Parliaments of member states of the international conference of the Great Lakes.
According to the speaker, they had an interactive engagement with a particular focus on the conflict in Eastern DR Congo, and Sudan, adding that the forum agreed on a peaceful settlement.
Hon. Nunu said when the delegation arrived Kinshasa on Wednesday for the four-day mission, the meeting highlighted on the worsening humanitarian situation in Eastern Congo created by the conflict and urged for a collective peaceful resolution.
Speaker Nunu commended regional efforts to resolve the Eastern Congo conflict.
“The main purpose of our meeting is to meet with The Excellency the President was to present to him the resolutions on the conflicts and humanitarian situation in the four countries of Jersey, South Sudan, Central African Republic, and Sudan. We also had very interactive discussions with him especially on the deteriorating security situation in eastern Congo in which many people have been affected by the conflict, and we also sought his views on the ongoing process which is facilitated by His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta in trying to bring a solution to the conflict in the Eastern DR Congo,” Speaker Nunu added.
According to the speaker, the meeting also highlighted a political row between some member states of the great lakes region and called for non-violent settlement.
“We also sought his views on the road map, which is a road map which is being proposed by His Excellency Jia Lourenco of Angola. And also, with specific reference to the deteriorating bilateral relation between Rwanda and their Congo,” Speaker Nunu stated.
At the same event, the president of the senate of the Democratic Republic of Congo Modesto Bahati implored the region to give peace a chance and added the forum has resolved to punish spoilers.
“Our mission is to lobby and to convince all the heads of government, the parliaments, and members of the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region to think about the question of security in the East of DRC. During this session, an important resolution has been taken to impose sanctions on all the armed groups,” Modesto stressed.
The fact-finding mission comprises members from South Sudan, Kenya, and Tanzania
The International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) is an inter-governmental organization of the countries in the African Great Lakes Region.
Its founding history began in 2000 when the United Nations Security Council, as stated in its resolutions called for an International Conference on peace, security, democracy, and development in the Great Lakes region. Later that year, the Secretariat of the International Conference was established in Nairobi, Kenya, under the umbrella of the United Nations and the African Union.
Its establishment was based on the recognition that political instability and conflicts in these countries have a considerable regional dimension and thus require a concerted effort to promote sustainable peace and development.
The organization is composed of twelve member states, namely Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Republic of South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia.
In April this year, South Sudan and other member states of the East Africa Community deployed regional forces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as part of efforts to restore peace and stability in eastern DR Congo.
Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba in a group photo with members of parliament