Defence ministers from 11 regional countries will this Friday meet in Kigali to share important information and exchange views on how to combat rebel forces and halt their activities.

The meeting that is organised under the auspices of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), will be preceded by a meeting of experts that starts today.

A statement from the Ministry of Defence reads: "The major objective of the meeting includes sharing information about the nefarious activities of the negative (rebel) forces and assess progress made in combating the negative forces through various bilateral and regional initiatives undertaken to deal with the negative forces”.

It also stated that the ministers will develop a joint operational plan against the rebel forces and strengthen cooperation to deal with terrorism threats.

"The meeting shall adopt a common approach with a view to supporting bilateral and regional initiatives and intensifying efforts in dealing with these negative armed groups,” the statement further reads.

Armed groups that have become a major cause of instability in the Great Lakes Region include among others, the Democtic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a terrorist outfit that operates mainly in the eastern part of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
 
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