Luanda – The Ministers of the Regional Inter-Ministerial Committee of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) approved last Saturday, by consensus, the candidacy of Angolan diplomat João Samuel Caholo for the post of Executive Secretary of the regional organization.
The appointment took place during the VIII Inter-Ministerial virtual meeting, which was directed from Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.
After this validation of the Angolan candidacy, the proposal will be submitted for appreciation and approval by the Heads of State and Government, who will meet at a summit set for November 20th.
The minister of Foreign Affairs, Téte António, led the Angolan delegation to the referred meeting, which was also attended by the minister of National Defence and Veterans of the Motherland, João Ernesto dos Santos, the secretary of State for National Defence, José de Lima, the secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Esmeralda Mendonça, among other senior officials in ministerial departments.
(Inside)
João Samuel Caholo, 64, was born on July 10, 1956, in Luena city, eastern Moxico Province. He holds a degree in Geology and has served in the Angolan diplomacy for over 20 years.
His long and vast diplomatic experience includes the functions of Deputy Executive Secretary for Regional Integration of SADC (2009 - 2013) and Deputy Executive Secretary of SADC (2005 - 2009).
During his diplomatic trajectory, Caholo has worked for the African Union and the European Union, in all member countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), as well as in countries in North, East, West and Central Africa.
He has also fulfilled diplomatic missions in the Nordic countries , Western Europe and Russian Federation, North America, South America and Asia.
The virtual meeting of the Regional Inter-Ministerial Committee of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region brought member states together and analyzed, among other issues, the political, security and health situation in the Great Lakes Region.
Ministers also analyzed the report of the national coordinators whose meeting was held on Friday 06, and received information from the Executive Secretary on the main challenges of the Secretariat and evaluated the programme for the Summit of Heads of State and Government.
They approved the Report and the Final Communiqué of the Regional Inter-Ministerial Committee, while also examining the status of the contributions of the Member States.
The International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (CIRGL) is comprised by Angola, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Rwanda, Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Republic of Congo, which chairs the organization.
