BUJUMBURA June 6th (ABP) – The mayors and representatives of the cities of the Great Lakes countries, gathered in the City Council, around the theme: cities and living together: 10 years later”, released on June 2, 2023, a final press release of the 10th general assembly of the platform of local authorities of the Great Lakes countries (PALPGL).
In that press release, read by the executive secretary of the platform, Mr. Georges Magambo, it has been indicated that the mayors and representatives of the cities of the Great Lakes countries appreciated the results of the final evaluation of the project “the border, our livelihood” and are delighted that the local authorities have reinforced the impact of that project. They have then undertaken to continue to support women small cross-border traders and the facilities in which they have been grouped, in particular cooperatives, in order to perpetuate the achievements of that project for more social cohesion in the Great Lakes region.
Mr. Magambo also reported that they have taken the act of contributing to improving access to justice, to reduce tensions and strengthen stability in the Great Lakes region, implemented in border towns between the DR Congo and Rwanda, by the international consortium.
As this project contributes to social cohesion in the region, by working on issues of access to justice, the mayors are committed to supporting its implementation and to collaborating with the consortium to strengthen the impacts of the project. They then recommended that the PALPGL Executive Secretariat work with the consortium to identify possible areas of collaboration.
He also specified that the mayors undertake to pay the contributions of their cities to ensure the proper functioning of the platform, in accordance with the bylaws. The members of the PALPGL have also decided that the next general assembly will be held in the city of Kisangani in DR Congo, and will focus on the theme: “Environment, Climate and Resilience”.
Mr. Magambo ended by thanking the high authorities of Burundi, Rwanda and the DRC for their support and commitment to the peacebuilding in the Great Lakes region, to the AIMF for its financial support as well as to the delegation of Swiss cooperation, the EU and the ambassador of France and Tanzania.