JOINT MEDIA ADVISORY

Experts and Stakeholders’ Workshop on the occasion of the Fifth Anniversary of the Peace, Security and Cooperation (PSC) Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Great Lakes region

breaking the recurring cycles of violence in the eastern DRC and ensuring sustainable Peace

Invitation to representatives of the media

What: The African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN), will hold a Stakeholders’ Workshop to mark the 5th Anniversary of the signing of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework (PSCF) agreement for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Great Lakes region, signed five years ago, by eleven countries, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to break the recurring cycles of violence in the eastern DRC and ensure sustainable peace in the region.

A press Conference will be addressed by the AU Special Representative for the Great Lakes region, Mr. Basile Ikouebe, and the UN Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region, Mr. Saïd Djinnit

When:26 February, 2018 from 11:00hrs - 11:30hrs (Opening Ceremony)

27 February, 2018 from 12:30hrs – 13:00hrs (Closing Ceremony)

Where:

African Union Headquarters, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Small Conference II, New Conference Center

Who:

Representatives of the signatory countries of the PSCF and the Guarantors of the PSCF, (AU, UN, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), and the Southern African Development community (SADC)), AU Peace and Security Council, partners as well as, civil society organizations and experts

Why:

To assess the implementation of the PSCF and formulate concrete recommendations on how best to address the underlying root causes of conflict in the Great Lakes region and advance the implementation of the Framework agreement

Note to the Editor

About the Peace, Security and Cooperation (PSC) Framework

The Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework (PSC Framework) was signed on 24 February 2013, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, by 11 countries, namely Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, the DRC, Rwanda, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia, with the United Nations (UN), the African Union (AU), the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) acting as Guarantors. In early 2014, Kenya and Sudan became the 12th and 13th signatories of the Framework Agreement respectively.

The Framework Agreement encompasses commitments at the national, regional and international level geared towards addressing the root causes of conflict and putting an end to the recurring cycles of violence in eastern DRC and the Great Lakes region. Its implementation is supported by the Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region, Said Djinnit, who was appointed in July 2014.

The UN, AU, ICGLR, SADC, the four Guarantors of the PSCF, have worked together during these five years to advance the implementation of the Framework. Yet, despite these advances, the sources of conflict in the region largely remain. Political instability, violence, and poverty continue to affect the lives of too many people.

The fifth anniversary of the PSCF is expected to address the need for stronger commitments and partnerships in the region, the African continent, and globally to achieve peace and stability in the Great Lakes region.

For media inquiries, please contact:

AU Peace and Security Department

Lulit Kebede Tel.: +251 911 211183 Email: lulitk@africa-union.org