by Charles M. Kayoka in Dar es Salaam – SANF 04 no 103
Eighteen African leaders have declared their collective determination to transform the Great Lakes Region into a “space of sustainable peace and security” within the framework of a common destiny.
The leaders, including nine from the Southern African Development Community (SADC), met in Tanzania for two days to address issues around four general themes: peace; stability and security; democracy and good governance; and economic development, integration and humanitarian issues.
The summit was organized by the African Union and the United Nations, and funded by a group of donor countries dubbed Friends of the Great Lakes Region. It ended with a declaration for peace: the Dar es Salaam Declaration on Peace, Security, Democracy and Development in the Great Lakes Region.
The declaration was signed by the leaders of the Great Lakes Region, that is, the presidents of Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
The presidents of South Africa, Gabon, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria and Zimbabwe signed as witnesses, together with the Chairperson of the African Union Commission and the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
In signing the declaration, the leaders have jointly taken an oath to adhere to the rule of law, democratic governance and respect for the diverse views of the citizenry. The declaration also seeks to strengthen regional economic integration and cross-border trading so as to promote a conducive environment for investment.
The document contains specific policy options and guiding principles for peace and security, democracy and good governance, economic development and regional integration, and humanitarian and social issues.
These cover issues such as arms trafficking, ethnicity, and ending sanctuary and support to dissidents seeking to topple the governments of neighbouring countries.
The leaders agreed to address the root causes of poverty caused by insecurity and to find lasting solutions. They also agreed to intensify their joint struggle against HIV and AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria; and urged the adoption of Kiswahili as the region’s lingua franca.
Opening the summit, President Benjamin Mkapa of Tanzania admonished fellow presidents for hiding behind international protocols protecting sovereignty of nation states to perpetrate dictatorships. He said some leaders mask hideous atrocities and undemocratic behaviour behind the very much abused international “principles of sovereignty and non-interference”.
He said that people in the Great Lakes Region were economically, socially and ethnically interlinked, so that problems in one country will soon affect the neighbours.
“We must tackle the causes of conflict and instability head on. We have come to terms with our history and our legacy. Let us not pretend there are no problems, and let us stop finding scapegoats.”
Mkapa, whose recent tenure as SADC chairperson was notable for its emphasis on conflict resolution and results-oriented targets, applied the same determination as host of this historic Great Lakes summit.
The Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, who is the current AU chairperson, made an impassioned plea to his colleagues to pursue what they have agreed to, and said the Declaration would seem sensible only if the leaders implement what is contained in the document.
Speaking to journalists earlier, the Tanzania Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Jakaya Kikwete, said the decision to hold the conference was made in 1994 following the Rwandan genocide in that year.
In tandem with the accord, the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, who was head of UN Peacekeeping when the conflict in Rwanda occurred, promised support and intervention of the international community which “naturally depend on the progress yourself achieve in sustaining a momentum and building confidence.”
He said the Great Lakes Region is so rich that if it maintains peace and security it can be an engine for economic growth and development on the African continent.
The leaders established a follow-up mechanism, including a Regional Inter-Ministerial Committee and tasked it with specific responsibilities.
They agreed to invite the Group of Friends of the Great Lakes Region to continue their “commendable diplomatic, political, technical and financial support” for implementation and follow-up. They also invited the UN and the AU in consultation with the host country (Tanzania) to assist the Member States of the Conference in implementation until the Second Summit of the Conference. This is to be held in Nairobi next year on a date not yet determined (SARDC)
