Kenya to host special summit on Great Lakes region ........................................................... Heads of states and governments from the Great Lakes region will converge in Nairobi this week to discuss a number of issues ranging from conflicts to trade. The Special Summit of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), comes at a time when there are renewed hostilities in the Democratic Republic of Congo, tension among the two Sudans over the use of oil pipeline and rebellions, the pacification of Somalia and crisis in the Central African Republic. It will also discuss the issue of refugees in the region, besides giving an opportunity for regional leaders to address the issues impeding regional economic integration, investments in infrastructure and increased regional trade. According to Ken Vitisa, the National co-ordinator for the Great Lakes Region, the summit will provide an opportunity for Kenya to take a leadership role in regional peace, stability and development. He said Kenya will take the opportunity to push its agenda for the region to invest heavily in intra-regional infrastructure development. Kenya will also lobby for diplomatic support in its quest for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council for the 2017-2018 period. Regional leaders expected to attend include the presidents of EAC states, South Sudan, Sudan, Angola, Zambia, the Central Africa Republic and the DR Congo. The UN and development partners such as the African Development Bank, African Union and the World Bank will also attend. High on the agenda will be the conflict in DRC, which has engulfed other neighbours like Rwanda and Uganda. There are also emerging tensions between Sudan and Uganda. Khartoum has filed a complaint with the African Union and the Great Lakes bloc over Uganda’s alleged support for rebel insurgencies against Sudan. Sudan was alarmed after Sudanese opposition parties and rebels signed a charter dubbed the “New Dawn” in Kampala last January whose aim, according to Sudan, is to topple Omar al-Bashir’s regime. source: theeastafrican.co.ke/news/Kenya-to-host-special-summit-on-Great-Lakes-region-/-/2558/1928656/-/i9wqjez/-/index.html
Posted on: Tue, 30 Jul 2013 05:10:23 +0000
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