HON. JOHN MULIMBA MEETS AMB. MARIA HAKANSSON OF SWEDEN, DECRIES UNILATERALISM IN QUEST FOR REGIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY
On 12th February H.E Maria Hakansson, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden paid a courtesy call on Minister of State for Regional Affairs Hon. John Mulimba. Amb. Hakansson made the call in her capacity as a Representative of Sweden, the current Chair of the International Contact Group for the Great Lakes. Amb. Hakansson informed that Sweden had assumed Chairmanship of the Group starting January 2026 for a 6-month period and as such, there was renewed interest in Stockholm about the security situation in the region with a view to providing humanitarian support.
Hon. Mulimba congratulated Sweden on its assumption of the Chairmanship of the International Contact Group for the Great Lakes and appreciated Sweden for the role it plays in promoting peace and security, not only in the Great Lakes region but the entire region of Africa. He emphasized Uganda’s position as a key player in regional integration, with a focus on collective actions for peace. He outlined the importance of harmonizing regional initiatives with international efforts, such as the Doha and Washington processes to buttress peace and security initiatives.
Hon Mulimba made reference to Uganda hosting the 12th High-Level Regional Oversight Mechanism (ROM) Summit at State House Entebbe in December 2025, reaffirming its commitment to peace, security, and cooperation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the broader Great Lakes Region, emphasizing efforts to harmonize controversial issues.
In this regard he addressed the issue of unilateralism and the need for regional backing to avoid possible escalations in tensions. “What we are seeing today is a result of States taking unilateral decisions,” said Mulimba.
Regarding the issue of the UN recommendation of the drawdown of troops in Somalia, Hon. Mulimba emphasized the importance of a needs-based approach and “greater realism” by the International community in accurately diagnosing the causes of challenges in the region.
In the same vein, he revealed that duration of Operation Shujaa against the ADF in DRC Congo will be determined using a needs-based approach
