Member-states of the International Conference on Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) have been called upon not to use their territory as a basis for subversion and aggression against other countries in accordance with the pact (treaty) that established the organisation.
The call is contained in a declaration issued at the end of the 18th Ordinary Session of the Executive Committee of the Forum of Parliaments of ICGLR (FP-ICGLR) held in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo recently.
The call comes at a time when relations between some neighboring member-states are sour. Rwanda and Burundi are accusing and counter-accusing each other of harbouring elements planning subversion and aggression against each other while the Uganda-Rwanda relation is also facing challenges.
The meeting which brought together Parliamentarians from the twelve member-states accordingly called upon the ICGLR, the Forum and international community to play critical roles in resolving the Burundi-Rwanda conflict.
The Parliamentarians on the other hand lauded efforts towards bringing about intra-state peace and stability such as the recent signing of a peace agreement by warring factions in South Sudan and hand shake between Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga.
The executive committee members also appreciated the Secretary General of the Forum Hon. Amb. Onyango Kakoba for increased resource mobilisation and visibility of the organisation since he assumed office in April this year as well as successfully organising the meeting.
The executive committee is the coordinating arm of the Kinshasa-based Forum and is represented by a parliamentarian from each of the twelve member-states.
The countries are: Angola, Zambia, Republic of Congo, Central African Republic (CAR), Sudan, South Sudan, Kenya,Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda.
