Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has assumed leadership of the Regional Oversight Mechanism (ROM) of the Peace, Security and Cooperation (PSC) Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the region, following a high-stakes summit held in Entebbe.
The 12th High-Level ROM Meeting brought together leaders from 13 African nations, along with international guarantors and observers, to adopt a revitalized Action Plan aimed at restoring peace in eastern DRC and strengthening regional stability.
In a message on X after the summit on Wednesday, President Museveni emphasized the importance of internal engagement and self-reliance in addressing Congo’s long-standing instability.
“The issues in the DRC are solvable, and we will continuously work to ensure regional peace and stability,” he said. “For many years, Congo has faced significant challenges, including: 1) insufficient engagement with the people, and 2) over-reliance on external support. These same problems have existed in Uganda. However, with a clear philosophy, strong ideology, and a strategic approach, we will achieve the peace we all desire.”
Museveni also paid tribute to outgoing ROM Chair, President Évariste Ndayishimiye of Burundi, thanking him “for his contributions over the past two years and for designating us to be in charge of this Mechanism this year.”
The summit concluded with strong condemnations of armed groups destabilizing the region, including M23/AFC, the ADF, FDLR, RED Tabara, and CODECO. The leaders called for full implementation of UN Security Council resolutions and urged coordinated disarmament and repatriation efforts.
Solidarity was expressed with Sudan amid ongoing conflict, while Uganda’s joint military operations with the DRC and cross-border infrastructure projects were hailed as concrete steps toward peace and integration.
Notably, the leaders adopted a new Action Plan to revitalize the PSC Framework, incorporating accountability mechanisms and enhanced participation of women, youth, and civil society in peace processes.
The summit also welcomed recent diplomatic breakthroughs, including joint declarations between the DRC, M23, and Rwanda, facilitated by Qatar, the United States, and AU-designated mediators.
Diplomats from EU, Netherlands, US, France, Germany, China, Sweden, Republic of Ireland, Belgium and Denmark were part of the summit. The said countries are part of efforts to find solutions to the conflict in eastern DRC.
With Uganda now at the helm of the ROM, President Museveni’s leadership marks a renewed regional drive to tackle root causes of conflict and forge a durable path to peace.
