ICGLR – International Conference on the Great Lakes Region

THE ICGLR SECRETARIAT CONGRATULATES PRESIDENT FAUSTIN-ARCHANGE TOUADÉRA ON HIS REELECTION

Fiona Irakoze — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 10:17:16 +0000

Bujumbura – 23 January 2026. The International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) warmly congratulates His Excellency Faustin-Archange Touadéra, President of the Central African Republic, on his successful reelection in the 28 December 2025 presidential election, as proclaimed by the Constitutional Council. President Touadéra’s renewed mandate reflects the confidence placed in his leadership by the people of the Central African Republic. In this important moment, the ICGLR Secretariat encourages … (Download Full Statement)

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THE ICGLR SECRETARIAT CONGRATULATES PRESIDENT YOWERI KAGUTA MUSEVENI ON HIS REELECTION

Fiona Irakoze — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 14:08:36 +0000

Bujumbura – 22^nd January 2026. The International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) extends its sincere congratulations to His Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda, on his reelection following the January 15, 2026, presidential election, as announced by the Uganda Electoral Commission. The ICGLR recognises this outcome as a demonstration of the people of Uganda’s democratic choice. We call on … (Download Statement)

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Press Statement

Fiona Irakoze — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 18:13:08 +0000

Livingstone, Zambia – January 13, 2026 – The International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) held an Extraordinary Meeting of the Committee of Ministers of Defence on 10^th January 2026, in collaboration with the Government of the Republic of Zambia, in Livingstone, Zambia. This meeting aimed to address the critical security and humanitarian issues in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and their regional implications.

Ministers from ICGLR member states—Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Congo, DRC, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia—discussed creating a unified regional response aligned with the ICGLR Pact on Security, Stability, and Development, Doha Peace Framework, and Washington Accords. The ministers adopted measures to improve regional stability, including: … (Download Press Statement)

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PRESS COMMUNIQUÉ

Fiona Irakoze — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 05:56:03 +0000

Livingstone, Zambia. 07^th January 2026 – The International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) will hold an Extraordinary Meeting of the Committee of Ministers of Defence on 10 January 2026 in Livingstone, Republic of Zambia, to deliberate on the deteriorating humanitarian and security situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and its wider regional implications. The Extraordinary Meeting seeks to forge a unified and coordinated regional response, in line with the ICGLR Pact on Security, Stability and Development and the Protocol on Non-Aggression and Mutual Defence. Ministers of Defence will assess the security and humanitarian situation on the ground, review the formulation of the … (Download Communiqué)

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PRESS STATEMENT ON SUDAN’S PEACE INITIATIVE PRESENTED AT UNPSC

Fiona Irakoze — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 17:28:43 +0000

Bujumbura, Burundi. 1st January, 2026. The Secretariat of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) welcomes the peace initiative presented by the Transitional Government of Sudan at the United Nations Security Council on 22^nd December 2025. This initiative provides a comprehensive and forward-looking framework that seeks to end the country’s nearly three-year war, which has created the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. The Conference Secretariat expresses strong support to … (Download full statement)

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Newsletter – December 2025

Fiona Irakoze — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 11:03:16 +0000

We are thrilled to announce the release of our December 2025 Newsletter featuring highlights from the 9th ICGLR Summit of Heads of State and Government held on November 15 in Kinshasa.

👉 Read the Full Newsletter Here!

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MEDIA ADVISORY

Fiona Irakoze — Sat, 20 Dec 2025 06:48:13 +0000

Members of the media are invited to cover the meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration in preparation for the Ad hoc Summit under the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) and the Regional Oversight Mechanism (ROM) of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the region, hosted by His Excellency President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of Uganda. (Download media advisory)

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Connecting Peace Mediators: The ICGLR Community of Practice

Fiona Irakoze — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 19:39:33 +0000

The International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) has established a Community of Practice (CoP) for Mediation Professionals as a strategic platform to strengthen mediation capacity, coordination, and inclusive peace processes across the Great Lakes Region. The Community of Practice was officially launched in December 2025 in Kinshasa, on the margins of a regional capacity-building workshop for mediators and peace practitioners.

The Community of Practice builds on an already existing mediation architecture within the ICGLR. The ICGLR has constituted a regional Pool of Mediators, composed of two mediators per Member State, which serves as a core team that can be mobilised whenever mediation support is required at the national or regional level. While the Pool provides operational readiness, the Community of Practice complements it by creating a space for continuous learning, reflection and professional interaction.

The Community of Practice brings together mediation professionals and peace practitioners engaged in conflict prevention, dialogue facilitation and mediation processes. Its primary added value lies in experience-sharing, allowing members to exchange practical insights, lessons learned, and good practices drawn from real mediation contexts. Through peer-to-peer learning and collective reflection, the CoP contributes to strengthening professional standards and improving the effectiveness of mediation efforts in the region.

The Community of Practice operates primarily through an online exchange platform, which enables continuous interaction among members across borders. This digital space facilitates discussions, knowledge sharing, and access to relevant resources, ensuring sustained engagement beyond physical meetings or deployments.

Anchored in the ICGLR’s Gender-Responsive Mediation and Coordination Mechanism (GMCM), the Community of Practice promotes inclusive mediation approaches that integrate gender perspectives and encourage the meaningful participation of women, youth and marginalized groups. This approach reflects the ICGLR’s commitment to inclusive and sustainable peace outcomes.

By joining the Community of Practice, members become part of a dynamic regional knowledge network that supports mediators before, during and after mediation processes, while reinforcing regional ownership and coherence in peacebuilding efforts across the Great Lakes Region.

For more information, email to emmanuel.mali@icglr.org or simon.nibizi@icglr.org

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Press release: Workshop on Capacity Building and Support to Peace Processes in DRC and the Region

Fiona Irakoze — Sat, 13 Dec 2025 12:38:07 +0000

Kinshasa, 13 December 2025 – The Secretariat of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) launched, on Friday 12 December 2025 in Kinshasa, a capacity-building workshop for mediators, experts, and stakeholders involved in peace processes in the DRC and the region.

Held from 12 to 13 December 2025, the workshop sought to further professionalize national mediation expertise, enhance understanding of regional peace frameworks, and support ongoing efforts toward consolidating stability in the Great Lakes Region. The opening ceremony was presided by … (Download press release)

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PRESS STATEMENT ON THE ESCALATION IN SOUTH KIVU IN THE EASTERN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC)

Fiona Irakoze — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 16:49:38 +0000

Bujumbura, Burundi, 12th December 2025 – The Secretariat of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) wishes to express its profound concern over the increasingly troubling security situation in South Kivu, particularly following the capture of Uvira by the AFC/M23 coalition, a strategic town close to the DRC–Burundi border. The ongoing conflict risks destabilising the whole region. It has initiated widespread displacement, forcing many individuals and large numbers of families to flee to Rwanda and Burundi, leading to a rise in refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who are now in urgent need of assistance.

The ICGLR vehemently condemns the violence inflicted upon innocent civilians. We urge all involved parties to take immediate steps towards de-escalation and to honour their responsibilities in line with international humanitarian law. It is essential to … (Download full statement)

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