AFRICAN UNION UNION AFRICAINE

UNIÃO AFRICANA

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia P. O. Box 3243 Telephone: 011-551 7700 Fax: 011-551 7844 WEBSITE: www. africa-union.org DIVISION OF COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION

PRESS RELEASE N. 130/2009

COMMISSION DEPUTY BRIEFED ON SITUATION IN GREAT LAKES REGION

Addis Ababa, 16 June 2009- The African Union welcomes the integration of former rebel forces into the operations of the government and civic life of . It is sending a team of civilians to the , is opening an office in Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and has a special representative on the ground in Bujumbura, as part of efforts to bring lasting peace. Further, the AU will remain seized with matters of peace and security in the Great Lakes Region.

The Deputy Chairperson of the AU Commission Mr. Erastus Mwencha was speaking, today, while welcoming the Representative of the International Conference on the Great lakes Region (ICGLR), Ambassador Liberata Mulamula at his office in Addis Ababa. Ambassador Mulamula also presented the Deputy Chairperson with a copy of her letter of accreditation.

Ambassador Mulamula briefed the Deputy Chairperson in detail about the peace and security situation prevailing in the Democratic , Rwanda, Burundi and the Central African Republic. She said the integration of the former rebels in Burundi is progressing well and that her organization is assisting the government to manage the electoral and post electoral periods. Burundi is expected to have elections in 2010. On the situation in the Eastern DRC, Ambassador Mulamula called for greater participation of the AU in sensitizing the international community about developments in the region. The Ambassador lamented the death of Gabonese President Omar Bongo, whom she said was a good mediator in the attempts to resolve the situation in the Central African Republic.

Mr. Mwencha assured Ambassador Mulamula that the African Union remains seized with the situation in Eastern DRC, CAR and all other challenges of peace and security in Africa. He said in order to avoid further conflicts on the continent, it would be best to conduct elections in a way that does not bring conflict. He added that, at the forthcoming AU Summit to be held in starting from 24 June to 3 July, the Commission will make a report to the Heads of State and Government on the situation in the DRC and urge the international community to keep up efforts to resolve the situation.

Lastly Mr. Mwencha congratulated Ambassador Mulamula for successfully establishing the ICGLR office and setting up a functional secretariat, which, apart from peace and security, is also working to resolve border issues, illegal exploitation of natural resources, and establishing good governance. Signatories to the ICGLR are , Burundi, Central African Republic, DRC, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.