UN urges ICGLR members to show political will to end wars

The Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary General to the Great lakes Region, Mary Robinson, has called for political will from all the member states of the sub-regional body in the implementation of the planned programmes towards ending violence in the Central African Republic and in South Sudan.

And the African Union (AU) has reaffirmed its commitment to seeking solutions of resolving security problems in affected countries such as the Central African Republic and Sudan by dialoguing and by sending troops to help restore peace in these nations.

Ms. Robinson appealed to all member states to show political will in ensuring that all programmes that have been lined up by the Great Lakes Region, mostly to end violence in South Sudan and Central African Republic, are implemented.

She called on the members of the Great Lakes Region to strive to alleviate the sufferings of people in the two war-torn countries and hold people who have violated the human rights or committed crimes accountable to the law.

Ms. Robinson noted that people who have committed crimes against humanity must be made accountable as the sub-region continues to strive to restore peace in countries that are troubled.

And Special Representative of the African Union for the Great Lakes Region Boubacar Diarra commended the regional leaders for ensuring that the M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo forsake the fighting and dialogued with government of that country following the Kampala dialogue.

Ambassador Diarra further stated that there was urgent need to pay particular attention to solving security problems in South Sudan, which is the youngest nation in Africa.

He said the region should encourage peaceful means of resolving conflicts in that
country.

He has meanwhile commended member countries of the Great Lakes Region for their efforts in alleviating conflicts in DRC and appealed to them to act quickly by increasing troops in Central African Republic where there are still conflicts.

Meanwhile, the Angolan Minister of Foreign Affairs George Rebelo Pinto Chicoti, who has taken over the chairmanship from his Ugandan counterpart Sam Kutesa, has called for support from all members as there are a lot of problems to be dealt with in the region.

In his acceptance speech of the chairmanship, Mr. Pinto Chicoti noted that his country has taken over the chairmanship at a time when there were problems in Central African Republic, South Sudan and partly in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

He explained that wars have left Angola in misery because they have claimed lives of thousands of its people and divided the nation apart from leaving a trail of destruction to infrastructure.

The minister has since called on all member states of the Great Lakes Region to reject any attempt by some leaders who want to take over power through using weapons because the consequences of doing so leave so much pain and destruction to a country.

He said in the 30 years Angola was at war, the country had been hindered from developing adding that it had lost a lot of resources.

He further called on Angolans to support government´s national development plan which will see rural areas developed and unify the country.

Zambia’s Ambassador to Angola, Barbara Chilangwa, represented Foreign Affairs Minister Wylbar Simuusa in the inter-ministerial committee meeting of Foreign Affairs Minister ahead of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region of the heads of state and government summit, which opens tomorrow.

Vice President Guy Scott is scheduled to arrive in Luanda, Angola today to represent President Michael Sata at the summit.

Ms. Chilangwa confirmed the arrival of Dr. Scott yesterday in an interview.