The Minister of State for Regional Affairs, Hon. John Mulimba, has cautioned against unilateral actions by states, noting that such decisions risk escalating tensions and undermining efforts aimed at achieving sustainable peace and security in the Great Lakes Region.
Hon. Mulimba made the remarks on 12 February 2026 during a courtesy meeting with H.E. Maria Håkansson, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden, at his office in Kampala.
Ambassador Håkansson paid the courtesy call in her capacity as a representative of Sweden, the current Chair of the International Contact Group for the Great Lakes Region. She informed the Minister that Sweden assumed the Chairmanship in January 2026 for a six-month period, adding that the new role has sparked renewed interest in Stockholm regarding the region’s security situation, with a view to supporting humanitarian interventions.
Hon. Mulimba congratulated Sweden upon assuming the Chairmanship and commended the country for its continued contribution toward promoting peace and stability, not only within the Great Lakes Region but across the African continent. He underscored Uganda’s role as a key actor in regional integration and peace-building efforts, emphasising the importance of collective regional action.
He further highlighted the need to harmonise regional initiatives with broader international peace efforts, including the Doha and Washington processes, to reinforce ongoing interventions aimed at restoring stability.
The Minister also referenced Uganda’s hosting of the 12th High-Level Regional Oversight Mechanism (ROM) Summit at State House Entebbe in December 2025, noting that the meeting reaffirmed Uganda’s commitment to peace, security, and cooperation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the wider Great Lakes Region. He stressed the importance of dialogue and consensus in resolving contentious issues.
In this regard, Hon. Mulimba raised concern over the growing trend of unilateralism, warning that it contributes to instability.
“What we are seeing today is a result of States taking unilateral decisions,” Hon. Mulimba said.
On the issue of the United Nations’ recommendation regarding the drawdown of troops in Somalia, the Minister called for a needs-based approach and urged the international community to adopt greater realism in diagnosing the root causes of regional challenges.
Similarly, he noted that the duration of Operation Shujaa, the joint Uganda-DRC military operation against the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), will be guided by a needs-based assessment on the ground.
