ambassador mulamula hands over ICGLR office

Ambassador Liberata Mulamula hands over to Professor Ntumba Luaba   outgoing Executive Secretary hands over ICGLR instruments to the incoming Executive Secretary as  the Burundi ICGLR National Coordinator looks on 

New   ICGLR   Executive   Secretary   answering   questions   from   the   press   with   Outgoing   Executive  Secretary and ICGLR National Coordinator looking on.

By Dorine Nininahazwe, 

ICGLR, Bujumbura

Out-going Executive Secretary of the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region ICGLR) Ambassador  Liberata  Mulamula  today officially handed over office  to her successor Professor Ntumba Luaba at a Handover Ceremony held at the ICGLR Executive Secretariat.  The ceremony was witnessed by the Burundi ICGLR National Coordinator, Gaspard Kabura, the Secretariat staff and the media.  

“I  am  leaving  Burundi  on  a  very  happy  note.  Indeed  the  region  is  now  relatively peaceful  and  the  guns  are  silent  now.  Looking  back  to  five  years  ago,  ICGLR  has significantly contributed to the recovery of peace and security in the region and has also put a solid foundation for my successor’’ stated Ambassador Mulamula in her keynote addtess.                                                                                                           

 She  also  congratulated  her  successor  for  his  unanimous  election  on  16                  

December  2011  by  the  Heads  of  State  as  new  Executive  Secretary  of  the  ICGLR  and expressed confidence in his able leadership.  

Ambassador  Mulamula  further  extended  her  gratitude  to  Burundi  and  the  media  for embracing  her  as  one  of  theirs,  for  the  very  warm  reception  since  she  arrived  and expressed her hope that the same will be extended to her successor. 

Although  challenges,  such  as  the  permanence  of  armed  groups,  are  remaining  in  the region, the departing Executive Secretary is confident that a solution will be found to address the so-called “negative forces”. The set-up in Goma of a fusion centre bringing together    intelligence     services   from    various     Member   States,      and    which     will  be operational by February 2012, is certainly a significant step towards this goal. 

As for the election processes, she recognized that ICGLR Member States are on the right path in concretizing     democracy       and    governance.      Additionally,      she   mentioned       the   full operationalization  of  the  Lusaka  Centre  on  Democracy,  Good  Governance  and  Civic Education as another important element to ensure the promotion of good governance and the strengthening of regional capacities in this area.  

As she ended her warmly received speech, she finally thanked the ICGLR partners who have  been  with  the  Great  Lakes  all  along,  namely  GIZ,  UN  WOMEN  and  the  AfDB among others, and called upon everybody to continue to support the ICGLR Executive Secretary Prof. Ntumba as he embarks on his new role.     

Professor  Ntumba,  whose  past  functions  have  included  Minister  of  Human  Rights  in DRC      and     Deputy      Executive       Secretary      of   CEPGL,       paid    tribute     to   Ambassador Mulamula’s stellar achievements over a memorable 5 years.  

He  thanked  her  for  encouraging  him  to  apply  for  this  position  and  for  the  vote  of confidence. Ambassador Mulamula has been a Mama for the Great Lakes and Professor Ntumba expressed his commitment to keep strengthening the ICGLR with the help of the team at his disposal. 

As main working areas for the years to come, he mentioned the projects  on  the  fight  against  illegal  exploitation  of  natural  resources  and  on  the  fight against  sexual  and  gender  based  violence,  the  development  of  a  project  on  youth employment,  the  strengthening  of  trans-border  cooperation  in  areas  related  to  peace and security as well as poverty reduction and food security.