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Great Lakes Leaders Agree to Disarm Herders

The Nation (Nairobi)
NEWS
December 15, 2006
Posted to the web December 14, 2006

By Mugo Njeru
Nairobi
A new regional security agreement unveiled yesterday proposes the disarmament
of nomadic pastoralists in Kenya, Uganda and Sudan.
The programme, targeting the entire Great Lakes Region, proposes a joint
security management of common borders to oversee activities in 12 border zones
identified by member States.
The programme was unveiled at the ongoing second summit of the International
Conference on the Great Lakes Region at Gigiri, Nairobi.
It says each zone will benefit from systematic efforts by the respective
countries to manage and improve security on common borders and to promote joint
economic development.
Also to be disarmed, according to the programme, are armed groups operating in
the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, which should be
repatriated to their respective countries.
The Great Lakes member countries will also embark on demining and mine-action
in the region. They will also embark on combating illicit small arms and light
weapons besides fighting transitional crime and terrorism.
Highest organs
Due to the sensitive and political nature of issues involved, the programme's
implementation and supervision will be entrusted to the highest organs of the
International Committee on the Great Lakes Region follow-up mechanism, it was
agreed.
The peace and security programme, to run for the next five years, is estimated
to cost $225 million (Sh16 billion), which will come from member States and the
international community.
Three areas have also been identified by the regional member States as
requiring urgent attention in the resumption of basic social services,
provision of health care and psycho-social support to groups with special
needs.
They include promotion of Kiswahili as a working language in the region at a
cost of Sh316 million over the next five years and war against sexual
exploitation, abuse and gender-based violence and assistance to victims at a
cost of Sh93 million over the same period.
The conference has also identified the fight against HIV/Aids, sexually
transmitted diseases, tuberculosis and Malaria as the areas requiring urgent
attention, at a cost of Sh92 million.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said at the meeting that he wanted the pact,
which will be signed today, to criminalise individuals in member countries who
aided and abetted rebel forces.
"These individuals should attract punitive laws in their countries of origin
and also in the countries targeted by their schemes," he said.


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