Museveni Takes Over Chairmanship of Great Lakes Peace Mechanism

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has officially assumed the chairmanship of the Regional Oversight Mechanism (ROM) under the Peace, Security, and Cooperation (PSC) Framework for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Great Lakes Region.

The handover took place during the 12th high-level ROM summit held at State House Entebbe, where outgoing chair President Évariste Ndayishimiye of Burundi passed on the instruments of leadership to President Museveni for a two-year term.

In his remarks, President Museveni emphasised the need for regional ownership of the peace process and cautioned against excessive foreign interference. “We know the problem, and it can be solved—but we must have the political will. Foreigners should limit their involvement because they often embolden wrongdoers,” Museveni stated. “What matters is our support. We, the neighbours, care about these internal groups.”

Established in 2013 with backing from the UN, African Union, ICGLR, and SADC, the PSC Framework addresses the root causes of instability in eastern DRC through collective responsibility among regional actors.

Museveni praised President Ndayishimiye’s previous leadership and expressed confidence that regional challenges—particularly in Rwanda, Burundi, eastern Congo, Tanzania, and Kenya—can be resolved. “These problems are not difficult. What is difficult are the three mistakes: philosophy, ideology, and strategy,” he noted.

He attributed longstanding unrest in eastern DRC to identity politics and foreign manipulation, tracing the crisis back to the Mobutu and Habyarimana regimes. “Mobutu refused to disarm those fleeing into Goma after the Rwandan conflict, ignoring appeals from neighbours. He believed only foreign support mattered—not regional voices,” Museveni said.

President Ndayishimiye congratulated Museveni on his appointment and pledged Burundi’s continued support for his tenure.

The summit was attended by heads of state, government leaders, and representatives from the PSC Framework’s signatory countries, including Uganda, Angola, Burundi, the Republic of Congo, the DRC, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Zambia.

Representatives from the Framework’s Guarantor Institutions—the African Union, the United Nations, and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region—as well as development partners and observers were also present.