Former Senate Vice president, Prosper Higiro, was yesterday elected Secretary General of the International Conference for the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) Parliamentary Forum.

ICGLR brings together 11 regional states.

Higiro was nominated by delegates from ICGLR member states attending the 4th ICGLR Ordinary Summit taking place in Kampala, Uganda.

With a three-year mandate renewable only once, the new leadership of the forum will be based in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Higiro said that his immediate task will be to mobilise parliaments to quickly respond to threats by negative forces in the region as well as fight sexual and gender based violence.

"As parliamentarians in this region, we shall raise our voices to show negative forces in this region that they have no support at all from any of the member states,” Higiro told The New Times shortly after his election.

He added that he will request regional parliaments to consider security as a priority and pass financial budgets to fight threats as well as push their governments to take action.

Silas Sindayigaya, the ICGLR Democracy and Good Governance Officer, said that Rwanda was chosen to take up the position in recognition of her leading role in setting up the forum in 2008.

Meanwhile, the outgoing ICGLR Executive Secretary, Ambassador Liberata Mulamula, commended member states for the support extended to the organisation’s Secretariat during her five-year term.

"It is not how much we have accomplished but how far we have come! I will forever cherish our moments together in our collective struggle for peace and stability in the region,” Mulamula said.

ICGLR Heads of State will hold a session on Friday to endorse the admission of South Sudan to the ICGLR as well as appoint the new ICGLR Executive Secretary.