The United Nations Special Envoy of the Secretary General for the Great Lakes region, Mr. Huang Xia, on Tuesday commended Kenya for her commitment and support towards the sustenance of peace and security within the Great Lakes Region.
Mr. Xia affirmed that the gesture by Kenya as a promoter of cohesion and co-existence amongst states in a region was in tandem with the country’s commitment of its membership in the International Conference on the Great Lakes (ICGLR), an inter-governmental organization of the countries in the Africa whose objective is to promote sustainable peace and development.
The UN Special Envoy highlighted the many opportunities Africa had that were fundamental for the consolidation and amplification of the regions strengths.
“The focus is on consolidation of peace and security for inclusive development both politically and economically for of all countries,” he said.
“Under the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, member states have agreed to put behind their differences and focus on the essentials of overcoming these challenges for the development of the entire region. This is the commitment of all the member states of the Great Lakes Region,” the envoy observed.
Kenya is currently hosting eight Ministers of Justice and Attorneys General from the Great Lakes Region for a High-Level Regional Conference on Justice and Good Governance.
He made the comments in Nairobi during a meeting with Kenya’s Attorney General Kihara Kariuki, who on his part reassured the Special Envoy of the Government’s continued support of all the peace process es and initiatives within the African continent.
“We cannot ignore the fact that the region has had a multiplicity of conflicts, crisis and hostilities as a result of the interests and agenda of external parties outside the continent,” Kariuki said.
“Kenya has been a victim of these conflicts and as a nation we shall do everything within our ability to ensure that peace and stability in the region is enjoyed by all. That remains our commitment,” the Chief Legal Advisor stated,” he added.
The three- day conference is organized by the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) with the support of the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes Region (O/SESGGL) as well as the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
Member states of ICGLR include Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Republic of South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia.
JK/abj/APA