On 12th February, H.E. Maria Hakansson, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden, paid a courtesy call on Hon. John Mulimba, Minister of State for Regional Affairs. Amb. Hakansson, representing Sweden as the current Chair of the International Contact Group for the Great Lakes, briefed the Minister on Sweden’s renewed interest in regional security and humanitarian support.
Sweden assumed Chairmanship of the Group in January 2026 for a six-month period. During the meeting, Amb. Hakansson highlighted Stockholm’s commitment to supporting peace and stability in the Great Lakes region.
Hon. Mulimba congratulated Sweden on its assumption of the Chairmanship and commended the country for its longstanding role in promoting peace and security across Africa. He underlined Uganda’s pivotal role in regional integration and the importance of collective action for sustainable peace.
The Minister emphasized the need to harmonize regional initiatives with international efforts, citing the Doha and Washington processes as key frameworks to strengthen peace and security in the region. He also referenced Uganda’s hosting of the 12th High-Level Regional Oversight Mechanism (ROM) Summit at State House Entebbe in December 2025, reaffirming Uganda’s commitment to peace and cooperation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the wider Great Lakes Region.
Addressing the challenge of unilateral decisions by States, Hon. Mulimba stressed the importance of regional consensus to avoid escalation of tensions. On the issue of the UN recommendation to draw down troops in Somalia, he highlighted the need for a needs-based approach and “greater realism” in diagnosing regional security challenges.
On her part, Ambassador Maria Håkansson, revealed that Sweden values close dialogue with Uganda on regional affairs.
Regarding Operation Shujaa against the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in DRC, Hon. Mulimba noted that the duration of the operation will similarly be guided by a needs-based approach, reflecting Uganda’s pragmatic and coordinated approach to regional security.
