BUJUMBURA January 17th (ABP) – The Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation, Mr. Ferdinand Bashikako, officially launched, Monday January 15, 2024, in Bujumbura, the activities of the 2 High-Level Conference days on the renewed strategy of the European Union (EU) and its member states for the Great Lakes region.
That conference brings together various representatives of the EU and its Member States, the United Nations, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), representatives of donor countries, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the sector private sector and civil society in order to conduct discussions on how that renewed strategy will be implemented to help promote peace, democracy and sustainable development in that region.
In his speech, Mr. Bashikako indicated that the Great Lakes region, of which Burundi is a part, is a highly strategic region for the rest of the continent and the world. However, he underlined, it is faced with many difficulties linked to peace and development whose root causes (political, economic and social, security) go back decades and still persist, hence the need to raise them. He believes that in order to respond to the aspirations of the people of the Great Lakes countries for lasting peace and development, the various partners are called upon to draw inspiration from the agendas and visions already in progress. In particular, the African Union (AU) Agenda 2063, the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the EAC 2050 Agenda are often translated into national priorities and policies of concerned countries, in strict respect of their sovereignty.
Regarding Burundi, he specified, the reference document is the vision “Burundi, emerging country in 2040 and developed country in 2060”, which constitutes the national policy and a road map for economic and social development. of our country.
According to Mr. Bashikako, Burundi welcomes the good initiatives of the EU for the Great Lakes region while reiterating its appreciation for the EU projects executed or in progress, particularly in agriculture, health, infrastructure and energy, particularly the Jiji-Murembwe dam. He further declared that Burundi would like the promises made to it during the visit of the President of the Republic, Evariste Ndayishimiye, to the EU in February 2022, on the sidelines of the European Union-Africa Union summit, be honored. The Permanent Secretary at the Burundian Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that the Burundian government is keeping its commitment to supporting and facilitating the implementation of that new strategy.
According to Mamadou Dian Balde, Regional Director of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), one of the major objectives of that workshop is to look at how they can turn problems into opportunities. He said that more than 300,000 Burundian refugees have already returned to the country. “We work with the government to help them integrate and guarantee their education, health and access to work. We do the same for other countries like Sudan, the DRC, etc.,” he said.
As for João Samuel Caholo, Executive Secretary of the ICGLR, it is important for them to have partners in order to strengthen stability in the region. “What Burundi can do at the moment is to identify the challenges that refugees face,” he said, adding that it is also necessary to determine what the country can do itself and what it can do with the support of partners.
Rita Laranjinha, Director General Africa at the European External Action Service, for her part, stressed that peace and security constitute, in themselves, the heart of the country, from where she launched a vibrant appeal to the countries of the Great Lakes region to continue the path of dialogue in order to strengthen stability in that same region. According to Ms Laranjinha, the EU’s renewed strategic commitment is based on respect, a partnership based on equality, common interests, local ownership and mutual accountability.
“The EU has long supported the Great Lakes countries in their efforts for peace and development. It is with that in mind that a renewed EU strategy for the Great Lakes region has been carefully developed”, declared Mrs. Pietrobon, ambassador and head of EU delegation to Burundi.
For her, beyond its exhaustive coverage of important subjects, such as economic cooperation, regional integration and natural resource management, that strategy is closely linked to other regional initiatives already in place. She testified that that concerted approach, in collaboration with countries in the region and EU partners, enables the implementation of essential EU programs, ranging from strengthening regional governance to strategic minerals, including the protection and sustainable reintegration of refugees, displaced persons and returnees, as well as the integrated management of natural resources and the environment, and finally, regional economic integration. She further expressed sincere gratitude to partners such as UNHCR and ICGLR for their continued support in achieving common goals.
Mrs. Pietrobon believes, all the same, that their commitment and expertise are key elements in the success of that initiative. It reaffirms the EU’s strong and continued commitment to promoting peace and security in the Great Lakes region. That commitment is materialized through two new programs dedicated to peace and security, as well as durable solutions for refugee problems in the region.
That high-level symposium was organized under the theme: “Building Together the Future of the Great Lakes Region”.