Africa-Press – Angola. The President of the National Assembly (AN), Carolina Cerqueira, reiterated this Tuesday, in Luanda, the engagement of the Angolan State in the promotion of democracy, good governance, defense of human rights and the achievement of lasting peace and security in the region of the Great Lakes.
Speaking at a round table on the “foreign policy of the Republic of Angola in the Great Lakes Region”, promoted by the AN, Carolina Cerqueira said that it was necessary for everyone to take on the challenge of transforming the Great Lakes region into an area of political and social stability , shared growth and development.
He considered it crucial, through diplomatic action, to guarantee political, economic, social and humanitarian stability “in our countries and in the region”.
According to the leader of the Angolan Parliament, in order to achieve these common objectives, States must show solidarity in all circumstances, acting based on the values and best customs of African culture and respect for differences.
“Unfortunately, our region is still, in a way, considered the least stable on the continent, due to the more emerging and other latent conflicts that occur between some States and belligerent groups that, in a way, contribute to the creation of various constraints and jeopardize the development of our countries”, he stressed.
He emphasized that these conflicts have delayed the implementation of the goals set within the framework of the sustainable development objectives and other relevant challenges for the region such as regional integration, with a focus on the free movement of people and free trade between states.
He noted that holding the round table, with the participation of the President of the Parliament of South Sudan and acting President of the Parliamentary Forum of the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (FP-IGRGL) and other African entities, “is a good example for the definition of common solutions in a concerted way”.
On her turn, the president of the Legislative Assembly of Sudan and acting president of the Parliamentary Forum of the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (FP-CIRGL), Jemma Nunu Kumba, praised the Angolans for having achieved sustainable peace and leadership by President João Lourenço, “after going through difficult times”.
He recalled that South Sudan is also living the same experience “and, since we are here, we have a lot to learn from Angola and the people of Angola”.
He defended the need for Africans to work in concert to solve their problems, always using the African approach.
Regarding the conflict that broke out in Sudan on April 16 of this year, and which has already caused around seven million people to be displaced, he appealed to the belligerent parties for an immediate cessation of all forms of violence and to respect the ceasefire.
“It is our responsibility, as a region, to act and appeal to the parties in conflict to reach a ceasefire and stop the destruction that has been happening and give an opportunity to dialogue to solve the problem”, he pointed out.
He also defended an inclusive and participatory dialogue to end the conflict in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and thanked the Member States that contributed with Peacekeeping contingents to the Region, including Angola and South Sudan .
women’s empowerment
The acting president of the FP-CIRGL praised, on the occasion, the policy of President João Lourenço in the empowerment of women and considering the balance of gender in the Angolan Government, including in the judiciary. “This is what we are looking for in the Great Lakes region.”
The round table, which was attended by the president of the Senate of Kenya, the representative of the Parliament of Zambia, among other individuals, aimed to sensitize African parliaments, of the Great Lakes in particular, to contribute to building a peace based on solid pillars in that region.
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