Defence Minister Adolf Mwesigye, UN Special Envoy Discuss Strategies for Great Lakes Region

The Minister of Defense and Veteran Affairs Adolf Mwesigye on Monday held a meeting with Mr Huang Xia, the Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary General for the Great Lakes Region at the Ministry of Defense in Mbuya where they discussed various issues pertaining to the UN strategy for peace consolidation, conflict resolution and prevention in the Great Lakes Region.

Mr Huang briefed Mwesigye on the ongoing preparations for the upcoming high level meeting of the regional oversight mechanism of peace, security and cooperation framework for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the region.

He remarked that the Great Lakes Region and Africa at large still face challenges such as the fight against rebel groups like Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) which hinder the efforts by the UPDF troops towards peacekeeping.

He expressed high appreciation to Uganda particularly UPDF leadership for the high level of professionalism exhibited by the Forces towards the contribution of peacekeeping missions that are supported by the United Nations.

On the other hand, Mwesigye applauded the UN Special Envoy and noted that UPDF remains steadfast in repulsing any attempts or attacks made by the ADF, informing him that the remnants had fled to eastern DRC.

“Under the leadership of His Excellency President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, Uganda has and will always embrace the Pan African ideology especially in peacekeeping and UN missions whenever called upon,” he said.

Mwesigye added that the ideologies that birthed AMISOM later gave rise to now the East African Standby Force.

“African problems require home grown African solutions thus the successes of AMISOM in Somalia,” said Mwesigye.

He also noted that Uganda, alongside military solutions, had applied the amnesty law that is dedicated to support, rehabilitate and reintegrate rebels who denounce rebellion.

The meeting was attended by UN Resident Coordinator Rosa Malango, Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Defense Rosette Byengoma, the Joint Chief of Staff Lt Gen Joseph Musanyufu and Defense spokesperson Brig Flavia Byekwaso.

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