The Conference aims to foster sustainable peace, stability, and development by addressing the interconnected challenges of political instability, armed conflicts, and their regional impacts. 

By ChuolChanyong

South Sudan will participate in the International Conference on the Grand Lakes region (ICGLR) this week after President Salva Kiir Mayardit received a special invitation from President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi, of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

ICGLR plays a crucial role in coordinating, facilitating, monitoring, and ensuring the implementation of peace and security initiatives within the Great Lakes region of Africa.

The Conference aims to foster sustainable peace, stability, and development by addressing the interconnected challenges of political instability, armed conflicts, and their regional impacts. 

The message, which was delivered by DRC Special Envoy Katharine Wagner Imbuyi, welcomed President Kiir to the summit, stressing the importance of regional cooperation to confront joint challenges.  

“I came with a message from President Tshisekedi to his brother, President Salva Kiir Mayardit, on the upcoming summit of the International Conference on the Grand Lakes region (ICGLR) to be held in Kinshasa next week. His Excellency received the message from his brother in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and we will wait for his arrival in Kinshasa to attend the summit,” Imbuyi said.  

“We also discussed bilateral relations between our two neighboring countries who have strong and stable relations,” she added.  

For his part, South Sudan Foreign Minister Monday Semaya Kumba, who also attended the meeting, confirmed the formal gesture and said President Kiir acknowledges South Sudan’s continuous commitment to enhancing close cooperation between the two countries in issues of common concern.  

“During the meeting, His Excellency the President received the two messages and speech warmly, and thanked the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo for its constant support for south Sudan,” he said.  

“He also assured her of our commitment as a government to continue working closely with the Democratic Republic of the Congo to address issues of common concern.”

South Sudan’s invitation to participate at the International Conference on the Grand Lakes Region (ICGLR) comes at a time when the region is witnessing an escalation of armed conflicts, especially in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, where violence between armed groups and government forces has been on the rise, threatening to destabilize the entire regional stability.

This conference, which is considered a regional political and security platform that includes twelve countries, including South Sudan, reflects the importance of cross -border cooperation to face common challenges, such as transient conflicts, refugee flow, and illegal smuggling of weapons and natural resources.  

ICGLR was established in 2000 under Security Council resolutions 1291 and 1304, in recognition of the intertwined regional nature of conflicts in the region, and the need to address its roots through a comprehensive collective approach.

The invitation of South Sudan, one of the latest entrants to the body, emphasizes the increasing regional connection and the need to address regional challenges jointly.