A renewed EU Great Lakes strategy: Council approves conclusions

The Council approved conclusions setting out the renewed long-term EU engagement in the Great Lakes region.

The EU’s overarching objective and priority is to promote peace, democracy and sustainable development in the Great Lakes region by contributing to the transformation of the main root causes of insecurity and instability into shared opportunities. For this, the EU is offering to support the countries in the region, in their efforts to move:

• From tensions to trust, security and stability
• From trafficking of natural resources to trade and sustainable development; and
• From competition to cooperation and integration

The EU’s engagement will prioritise support to the countries’ commitment to peace, respect of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all the countries in the region and fostering an environment of mutual trust and partnership.

The strategy will serve as the reference framework for all EU policies and action in the Great Lakes region, under which to pursue increased coherence, consistency and continuity, with a focus on the DRC, Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda, but also engaging with other countries and organisations in the region, the UN and international partners.