{{Luanda}} – {Issues related to the current situation in the Great Lakes region were the focus of the meeting held, Sunday, in Luanda, between the Angola Minister of National Defence, João Gonçalves Lourenço, and the special envoy of the United States of America for the region, Russell Fungold. }
At the end of the meeting, Defence Minister and Russell Fungold told the press that one of the relevant issues addressed with the Angolan government has to do with the involvement of some armed groups in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Russell Fungold told the Press that they reached an understanding and a complete agreement, including the international community, that the Rwanda Armed Liberation Forces (FDLR) armed group, has to be eliminated in the near future.
Russell Fungold said that these rebel forces committed several crimes in Rwanda and the DRC.
“We all have to work together to achieve the goal of ending these negative forces,” said the diplomat who is in Angola for the fourth time to attend the meeting of the Head of States of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), which began on Saturday, in Luanda.
The meeting will be preceded by another one at the level of ministers of the ICGLR in the subregion scheduled for Monday 20, also in Luanda.
Russell Fungold reaffirmed that the United States recognize and acknowledge the leadership of Angola in the presidency of the ICGLR, represented by its President, José Eduardo dos Santos.
He said that his country also recognizes “fair and clear analysis that the Angolan authorities are aware of the problems currently flock in the Great Lakes Region.
Angola assumes the rotating presidency of the ICGLR this January. Members of this body are: Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic (CAR), Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia.
The ICGLR was created after the political conflicts that marked the Great Lakes region in 1994, the result of which marked the recognition of their size and the need for a concerted effort to promote peace and development in the region.
Source: {{Angola Press}}
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