Luanda - The efforts of the Angolan President and acting President of the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), João Lourenço, to bring peace to the Central African Republic (CAR), were praised on Monday in Bangui at the meeting of the Strategic Committee for Monitoring the Process of Returning to Peace in this African country.
According to a press release issued at the end of the meeting, the participants expressed their appreciation for their willingness and commitment in the search for definitive peace, as well as praising Presidents Faustin Touadera and Paul Kagame, of the CAR and Rwanda respectively, for the same reasons.
The ICGLR member countries discussed the degree of implementation of the Luanda Joint Roadmap for Peace and Security in the CAR, as well as analysing the state of political commitments, progress, challenges and opportunities for the implementation of the Ceasefire Declaration.
They also noted the significant efforts made, particularly within the framework of the Programme for the Restoration of State Authority throughout the national territory, as well as welcoming the self-dissolution of nine armed groups, out of the 14 signatories to the agreements, and the development of the draft engagement strategy for leaders of armed groups, which will allow them to re-engage in the peace process and return to stability.
There was also satisfaction with the reforms to define border security policy, in the areas of justice and in the continued development of the national transhumance policy, as well as administrative reforms carried out by the Civil Service.
In 2021, the President of the Republic, João Lourenço, defended at the Security Council the end of the arms embargo on the CAR and called for more international support for peace and security, as well as the neutralisation of dissident forces in the country.
Angola and the CAR have a General Cooperation Agreement, Protocol on Regular Political and Diplomatic Consultations, Protocol on the Indicative Cooperation Programme, Financial Support Protocol, Memorandum of Understanding, Revised General Cooperation Agreement and Memorandum of Understanding on Political Consultations.
Located in the heart of Africa and landlocked, the CAR achieved its independence from France in 1960.
The ICGLR is made up of Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia, Kenya and the Republic of Congo. FMA/VIC/DAN/DOJ
