Activists plot awareness campaign for regional security pact

As part of the initiatives aimed at accelerating implementation of the Great Lakes regional pact on security, stability and development, the National Coordination Mechanism (NCM) has launched awareness campaigns to involve stakeholders in the domestication of this agreement. During a one-day meeting held yesterday with jurists, the acting NCM Coordinator, Joseph Kabakeza emphasized need for judicial authorities to understand and provide feedback on this pact can be implemented smoothly. “Rwanda already ratified this pact and we are now creating awareness and sharing ideas with stakeholders so as to accelerate the execution process of this treaty,” Kabakeza told The New Times. He noted that so far, sensitization campaigns have also been held with mayors and local district leaders. The pact was developed by the International Committee for the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) as a commitment to turn the region into a specific zone of sustainable peace and development. “During the discussions with legal officers, we will brain storm on how to apply the pact’s articles in relation to our existing national laws,” Kabekeza said. Germany’s ambassador to Rwanda, Elmar Timpe commended the country’s remarkable efforts towards building peace in the region and pledged his country’s continued support towards ICGLR programmes. “Coordinated actions like these are important for building trans-border development. There is no development without security and no security without development,” Timpe said. According to Kabakeza, Germany, through its international cooperation enterprise for sustainable development, GTZ has donated over Rwf14 million in support of the NCM action plan in Rwanda. Ends