The Heads of State and Government of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), met in Luanda, Angola, on Tuesday, at the invitation of Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos, who is ICGLR Chairperson, to review the political and security situation in the region.

Joined by Jacob Zuma, President of South Africa as a special invitee and guest of President Dos Santos, the Summit themed "Accelerating the effective implementation of the Pact and its Protocols for a more democratic and stable Great Lakes Region” was preceded by the meetings of ICGLR ministers of Defence, and Foreign Affairs.

"The Summit reiterated its primary responsibility to find lasting solutions to peace and security challenges in the region and reaffirmed its strong commitment to the ICGLR Pact on Security, Stability and Development in the Great Lakes Region and its related Protocols,” reads part of a statement released at the end of the meeting.

Rwanda was represented by Defence minister James Kabarebe.

Among others, the Sixth Ordinary Summit of ICGLR Heads of State and Government urged the international community to extend much-needed financial support to the Government of Burundi and humanitarian assistance to Burundian refugees and to those people displaced as a result of the crisis.

It urged the UN and other concerned parties to accelerate the repatriation of disarmed ex-combatants of the DR Congo-based FDLR militia in the cantonment camps to Rwanda or resettlement to a third country outside the region.

FDLR is led and mainly composed of elements linked to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda and the outfit has defied several ICGLR ultimatums to voluntarily disarm.

ICGLR leaders also welcomed the recent formation of the Transitional Government of National Unity in South Sudan, and appealed to the region and the international community to sustain support to Juba and the people of South Sudan for the sake of peace and stability in the world’s youngest nation.

They appealed to the international community to extend humanitarian assistance to the Government of South Sudan to facilitate the return of refugees and internally displaced people.

The Summit welcomed the offer of Kenya to host the 10th anniversary celebrations commemorating the signing of the ICGLR Pact on Security, Stability and Development in December.

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