SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY HON. UHURU KENYATTA, C.G.H.

, PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE DEFENCE FORCES OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA DURING THE 6TH EXTRAORDINARY SUMMIT OF THE HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT ON THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE GREAT LAKES REGION (ICGLR) AT THE UNITED NATIONS COMPLEX, GIGIRI, ON 31ST JULY, 2013 Your Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of The Republic of Uganda and Chairman of the Summit, Your Excellencies, Heads of State and Government of The International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) Member States and Co-opted Members, Your Excellency Madam Mary Robinson, the United Nations Special Envoy to the Great Lakes Region, The Executive Secretary of International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, Prof. Alphonse Ntumba Luaba, Execellencies, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, I am honoured to have the pleasure of welcoming you to our Nations capital. On behalf of the people of Kenya, I am particularly delighted to extend our country's hospitality to Your Excellencies. Karibuni, and do feel at home. I thank you most sincerely for accepting the invitations from President Yoweri Museveni and I to attend this crucial extraordinary summit. Your presence here today clearly testifies to your personal commitment to the quest for regional peace and stability. It is quite encouraging to observe that this commitment is shared by the entire region. The Kiswahili proverb, "Kidole kimoja hakivunji chawa" is uniquely germane to this august assembly; in such an interconnected region as ours, solutions to vexed, urgent problems can only be achieved through the pursuit of common cause and fashioning of integrated solutions.

I also thank the Chairman of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, His Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for convening this Extraordinary Summit here. It gives us an opportunity to discuss the security situation in the ICGLR member States at the highest regional level. The security situation within and among a number of member states is a critical issue because of its impact on regional stability, which in turn inflicts, or threatens to inflict undesirable effects on our peoples' social and economic development. Our cooperation is aimed at pacifying, stabilising and uniting the region with the ultimate goal of improving the people's long term well-being. Member States are therefore required to address the root causes of conflict and instability, and to work together in accordance with the principles set out in the ICGLR pact on Security, Stability and Development. Kenya remains concerned with the recurring tensions between the Republic of the Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan. Being the guarantor of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between these nations, we call for the quick political and diplomatic resolution of all outstanding issues. Ultimately, good neighbourliness and brotherhood conduces prosperity, while animosity and suspicion erodes stability and deprives people of the synergy required to develop. Moreover, Kenya is deeply concerned about the fresh outbreak of violence in North Kivu, which has initiated a fresh cycle of humanitarian crisis in the region. We therefore appeal for a cessation of attacks on civilians, especially women and children, and for a quick resolution of the crisis. Furthermore, Kenya is concerned with the crisis in the Central African Republic and will extend humanitarian assistance to those affected within the ICGLR framework.

Your Excellencies, Kenya fully supports previous decisions adopted to address the security issues within and among various member States. In particular, it is important to highlight the significance of the pact on Security, Stability and Development and the protocol on Non-Aggression and Mutual Defence. We call on member States to fully implement the undertakings set out in these instruments as the best means of eliminating all adverse forces in the region. Additionally, Kenya continues to support regional efforts to ensure lasting peace and security within the areas affected by conflict and internal strife. In particular, I commend the efforts to deploy a regional intervention force to deal with armed groups in Eastern DRC. To enable member States own conflict resolution and peace-building efforts in the region, Kenya believes that ICGLR's regional initiatives require our full support. Kenya therefore pledges its full support to the establishment and work of the Joint Intelligence Fusion Centre, and urges that the Centre be strengthened to spearhead expeditious implementation of the Protocol on Non-Aggression and Mutual Defence. Kenya also welcomes the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the entire region. We hope that it will avail an additional avenue in the search for lasting peace in the region. Kenya, however, advises that this additional framework and its initiatives complement and strengthen, rather that complicate and overlap ICGLR initiatives. I find it important to make this point because we urgently need all hands on deck, for effective deployment to avoid wastage of much needed initiatives and resources through duplication. Being a member of ICGLR, Kenya submits that the organisation should be central to the Pact and the Framework. In addition, Kenya desires to join as a signatory to the Framework in order to lend diplomatic and political support to its initiatives.

Excellencies, Kenya supports the focus on seeking political solutions to security problems in the region and deeply appreciates the efforts made by the Heads of State and Governments of the ICGLR. I also reiterate Kenya's support for past recommendations in fashioning responses posed by armed adverse forces in the region. In this regard, I reiterate the need to urgently enhance bilateral and regional initiatives and emphasize that collective efforts are the best way to eliminate security threats in the region. As agents of our people's wellbeing, custodians of national interests and stewards of popular aspirations we will work better and be stronger when they forge a unity of purpose. It is an African habit to seek brotherhood and work in solidarity; every community of our great continent has a saying that enunciates the Kiswahili proverb, "Umoja ni Nguvu:Unity is Strength". You will agree with me that the humanitarian consequences of conflict will, over the immediate and long term, require the sustained attention of Governments, development partners, international and regional organisations and the private sector. The effects of conflict on human life and dignity remain a disturbing reality in our region. Even as we seek to entrench lasting peace, firmly rooted in sustainable development and sovereignty of the people, we must remain mindful of the imperative to minimise humanitarian impacts of conflict and instability through creative preventative (political and diplomatic) solutions. Excellencies, Permit me to touch on my Government's efforts to combat those adverse forces directed at Kenya, or affecting the security of the people of Kenya. We continue to suffer terrorist attacks owing to Kenya's various anti-terrorist initiatives, which have been aggravated by our needful intervention in Somalia. Despite the liberation of several areas from al Shabaab control by AMISOM, Ethiopian,

Somali National Army forces, Somalia remains fragile. Militants continue to mount attacks against the pacifying forces and civilians. The recent attacks at the UNDP compound and law courts in Mogadishu are strong indicators of unfinished business. We call on the region to speak with one voice in addressing this threat to guarantee peace and security. Our Ministers and Chiefs of Intelligence have made comprehensive recommendations on the way forward regarding the security situation in the Great Lakes region. Their efforts are much appreciated. Kenya fully supports these recommendations and desires their implementation. I take this opportunity to applaud the Secretariat for involving women, the youth, civil society and Parliamentarians in the Conference's initiatives and meetings. They are an indispensable constituency in the pursuit of stability and social progress. This one-voice and grass-roots approach is critical in identifying and solving our collective problems and offers an ideal chance to realise sustainable peace-building, stability and development. For these reasons, I look forward to working closely with Your Excellencies in our common quest for peace and security in the Great Lakes. Finally, let me thank our host most sincerely once again, and bid you all to enjoy pleasant stay in Kenya. THANK YOU.