The 19th Ordinary Meeting of Ministers of Defence of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) took place today in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. The meeting brought together Defence Ministers, Chiefs of Defence Forces, and Heads of Intelligence and Security Services from Member States to deliberate on key regional security priorities. This ministerial meeting was convened as part of a series of expert and ministerial meetings held in the run-up to the 9th Summit of Heads of State and Government scheduled for 15 November 2025. This meeting is particularly timely given the escalating security situation across the region. The meeting considered the reports of the 19th meeting of the Regional Coordination Committee of Chiefs of Intelligence and Security Services (RCC) held on 4 November 2025 and the 19th meeting of the Chiefs of Defence Forces (CDF/CDS) held on 6 November 2025.
The session was officially opened by H.E. Ms. Judith Tuluka Suminwa, Prime Minister of the DRC and Guest of Honour, who reaffirmed her country’s commitment to regional peace and stability. The ICGLR Secretariat, mandated to coordinate the implementation of the Pact on Security, Stability, and Development in the Great Lakes Region, was represented by its Executive Secretary, Ambassador João Samuel Caholo. The meeting, held in preparation for the upcoming ICGLR Summit of Heads of State and Government, was chaired by the Republic of Angola, the outgoing Chair of the ICGLR Committee of Ministers of Defence, while the Democratic Republic of Congo participated as the incoming Chair.
The meeting offered a key platform for Defence Ministers of the Great Lakes Region to reaffirm their commitment to peace and stability amid ongoing security challenges. They highlighted the need for stronger regional cooperation, joint action, and information sharing to address cross-border threats and implement ICGLR decisions effectively.
Ministers also emphasized the importance of ICGLR mechanisms on non-aggression and mutual defence for conflict prevention as provided under the Protocol on Non‑Aggression and Mutual Defence in the Great Lakes Region, which is one of the 10 legally binding protocols of the Pact. The meeting concluded with a renewed resolve to strengthen coordinated responses to emerging threats and advance a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Great Lakes Region — a message to inform the upcoming ICGLR Summit of Heads of State and Government. The meeting concluded with a concise, unified account of the security situation in the Great Lakes region and adopted clear, practical recommendations on how we can collectively prevent further escalation and manage the conflicts in the Great Lakes region, especially in the DRC and Sudan.