Kenyatta heads for Angola for DRC, Burundi peace talks

President Uhuru Kenyatta this afternoon travelled to Luanda, Angola, to attend the 6th Ordinary Summit of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGR).

At the summit, whose theme is “Accelerating the effective implementation of the Pact and its Protocols for a more democratic and stable Great Lakes Region”, an update of the security situation in the region will be presented.

The update will include the security situation in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burundi and South Sudan.

The summit will also discuss the implementation of the Nairobi declaration signed on 12 December 2013 by the DRC government and the former rebel group M23.

In the declaration, M23 renounced the armed struggle and placed its fighters at the disposal of the DRC government for demobilization and reintegration.

The summit is also likely to witness a Kenyan, Amb. Muburi Muita, endorsed as the new Executive Secretary of the ICGLR secretariat after garnering six votes to beat the Zambian and Ugandan candidates who got three votes each.

Belgium

President Kenyatta was seen off at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport by Deputy President William Ruto and other senior government officials.

After the ICGLR Heads of Government and State Summit that ends on Tuesday, President Kenyatta will travel to Brussels, Belgium, at the invitation of Prime Minister Charles Michel.

In Belgium, the President is expected to hold meetings with both Prime Minister Michel and His Majesty King Phillipe.

The President will also lead bilateral discussions with the Belgium Government, address the Belgian Business Community and attend an EU–Africa event among other official engagements.