President Museveni meets heads of state and delegations at the 12th High-Level Meeting of the Regional Oversight Mechanism of the Peace, Security, and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Region. PHOTO/PPU

A regional meeting held in Entebbe, Uganda, on Wednesday called on member states to strictly adhere to the peace, security, and cooperation agreement and to respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The one-day meeting brought together top leaders from Angola, Burundi, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, and South Sudan.

A joint communiqué stated that the Heads of State and Government discussed recent developments in the Great Lakes region, particularly on security and humanitarian issues in the region, including ongoing peace efforts to address the crisis in eastern DRC.

“We call for strict adherence to the commitments of the PSC Framework, particularly the commitments to respect, to neither tolerate nor provide assistance or support of any kind to armed groups, to respect the legitimate concerns and interests of the neighboring countries, in particular regarding security matters, and to neither harbour nor protect any kind to persons accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity, acts of genocide or crimes of aggression, or persons falling under the United Nations sanctions regime,’ the statement partially reads.

The leaders emphasized the urgent need to combat the illicit exploitation and trade of natural resources, which remain significant drivers of instability in the region.

They called for enhanced efforts to promote responsible and transparent management of these resources.

This, the leaders said, should be done in line with the recommendations from the high-level regional workshop held in Khartoum, Sudan, in 2021, as well as sanctions outlined at the 30 November 2006 International Conference on the Great Lakes Region on combating illicit exploitation of natural resources.

Regarding Sudan, the regional leaders called for increased cooperation to prevent the flow of arms and mercenaries into the country in line with the UN Security Council arms embargo.

They also called for an immediate halt to drone attacks on Port Sudan, which serves as a temporary hub for humanitarian agencies assisting affected civilians.

The leaders underscored that these attacks threaten Red Sea security and the safety of humanitarian operations.

They also rejected all forms of external interference in the Sudan conflict and encouraged dialogue.

On the DRC, the leaders expressed deep concern over the deteriorating security situation in eastern DRC, where civilians have been displaced and serious conflict-related sexual violence has been committed.

They condemned territorial advances and the establishment of parallel administrations by the M23/AFC and called for the swift and full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2773 (2025), which demands de-escalation and peaceful resolution of the conflict.

After careful review, the meeting adopted the Action Plan, emphasizing the continued relevance of the PSC Framework as a key mechanism to address the root causes of instability in eastern DRC and the wider region.

Meanwhile, the regional heads of state commended the Government of South Sudan for continuing to implement the revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan.

They encouraged the government to bring non-signatories on board to sign the agreement.