The Ambassador of Sweden to Uganda, Maria Hakansson, has held talks with State Minister for Regional Affairs John Mulimba following Sweden’s assumption of the chairmanship of the International Contact Group for the Great Lakes.
Hakansson said Sweden took over the six-month rotational leadership of the group in January 2026, prompting renewed attention in Stockholm on the security situation in the Great Lakes region and the need for continued humanitarian support.
She made the remarks during a courtesy call on Mulimba in Kampala, where discussions centred on regional peace initiatives and cooperation frameworks.
Uganda’s Regional Role
Mulimba congratulated Sweden on assuming the chairmanship and commended its contribution to peace and security efforts in Africa. He reiterated Uganda’s position as a key player in regional integration and collective security mechanisms.
He stressed the need to harmonise regional initiatives with broader international processes, including the Doha and Washington tracks, to strengthen peacebuilding efforts in the region.
Mulimba also referenced Uganda’s hosting of the 12th High-Level Regional Oversight Mechanism Summit at State House Entebbe in December 2025, describing it as a reaffirmation of Kampala’s commitment to stability in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the wider Great Lakes region.
Warning Against Unilateralism
Addressing current tensions, Mulimba cautioned against unilateral actions by states, arguing that such moves risk escalating conflicts.
“What we are seeing today is a result of states taking unilateral decisions,” he said, calling for stronger regional backing and coordinated responses.
On Somalia, Mulimba weighed in on discussions surrounding a possible United Nations-recommended troop drawdown, urging a needs-based approach and “greater realism” from the international community in assessing the root causes of instability.
He said Uganda’s involvement in Operation Shujaa against the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in eastern Congo would similarly be guided by conditions on the ground rather than fixed timelines.
The meeting underscored growing diplomatic engagement as Sweden begins its tenure steering multilateral efforts aimed at addressing insecurity in one of Africa’s most volatile regions.
