South Sudan Joins Regional Meeting on Trade and Peacebuilding in Great Lakes Region
South Sudan has participated in a regional intergovernmental meeting focused on strengthening resilient trade and socioeconomic integration as a pathway to peace and stability in the Great Lakes region.
The meeting, hosted by the United Nations Development Programme’s Resilience Hub for Africa, brought together government representatives and regional and international partners to validate the Resilient Trade and Socio-Economic Integration as a Pathway to Peace in the Great Lakes Region, or REST-GLR, initiative.
South Sudan was represented by Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Undersecretary Agnes Adlino Orifa Oswaha, Peacebuilding Undersecretary Pia Phillip Michael and Khamis Fredrick of the Ministry of Interior.
The REST-GLR initiative seeks to transform the economic and social dynamics of border communities by promoting economic inclusion, resilient trade and shared markets among nine participating countries: Angola, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
The initiative aims to promote cross-border economic opportunities as a foundation for long-term peace, stability and resilience while supporting the broader United Nations Strategy and Plan of Action for the Great Lakes Region.
Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Trade, Regina Ombam, delivered the keynote address at the meeting.
The gathering also brought together representatives of regional organizations, including the East African Community, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, the Lake Tanganyika Authority and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region.
Other participants included UN Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region Huang Xia and UNDP Resident Representative to South Sudan Mohamed Abchir.
The meeting is part of broader regional efforts to address economic and social challenges in border areas and use trade and socioeconomic integration to support sustainable peace across the Great Lakes region.
