Five Great Lakes countries agree on plan to disarm foreign fighters in conflict-hit region

Five Great Lakes countries agree on plan to disarm foreign fighters in conflict-hit region - Defence and foreign affairs officials from five Great Lakes countries have endorsed draft procedures to disarm and repatriate foreign combatants, pending approval by regional Heads of State. (Photo: The New Times)

Burundi, DR Congo, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania endorsed draft procedures in Lusaka, with the proposals set to be submitted to regional Heads of State for final adoption.

Five Great Lakes countries have endorsed draft procedures for disarming, demobilising, repatriating and reintegrating foreign combatants operating in the region at a security meeting held in Lusaka, Zambia, on Sunday, October 18.

The meeting brought together Ministers of Defence, Ministers of Foreign Affairs and their representatives from the Contact and Coordination Group member states including Burundi, DR Congo, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania.

Rwanda’s delegation was led by Defence Minister Juvenal Marizamunda.

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It followed a technical experts’ meeting held on October 17 to review the draft procedures before the ministerial discussions.

The draft Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) will be submitted to the Heads of State for consideration and final adoption.

Regional security coordination

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The meeting followed statutory defence meetings of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), held in Lusaka from October 14 to 16.

The Rwandan delegation was led by Marizamunda, accompanied by Maj Gen Vincent Nyakarundi, who represented the RDF Chief of Defence Staff.

The meetings began with the fourth ordinary meeting of the Specialised Committee of Defence Experts on October 14, followed by the 20th meeting of Chiefs of Defence Forces on October 15 and the 20th meeting of Ministers of Defence on October 16.

They brought together defence experts from the 12 ICGLR member states, namely: Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, DR Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

The discussions focused on regional security and strengthening coordination among defence and security institutions to develop collective responses to threats to peace and stability in the Great Lakes region.