The International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), hosted by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, to address the conflict in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, ended without the creation of a concrete plan to establish peace in the area.
However, the ICGLR did make some progress on working towards the implementation of a ‘Neutral International Force’.
The idea was agreed upon by several regional leaders to combat the rebels in the provinces. The conference decided that regional defence ministers should meet immediately to work towards “operationalisation of the Neutral International Force within three months.”
The Great Lakes leaders of the conference also concluded in a statement that the neutral international force would be “deployed under the mandate of the African Union and the United Nations.”
Rwandan president Paul Kagame, who faces UN accusations of propping up the Congolese rebels, did not attend the conference, but sent his Defence Secretary to represent him.
A new summit has been scheduled for next month.
