Kinshasa to Host 10th ICGLR Summit on Peace and Stability

Kinshasa, DRC — The Democratic Republic of Congo will host the Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) on 15 November 2025, under the patronage of President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, marking a key moment in regional diplomacy.

The announcement was made on Saturday, 8 November, by Minister of Regional Integration Floribert Anzuluni, during a press conference attended by national and international media in Kinshasa.

The summit, themed “Consolidating Peace, Stability and Development in the Great Lakes Region,” will bring together leaders from 12 member states, with the DRC set to assume the rotating presidency of the organisation from Angola.

DRC to Lead the Regional Peace Agenda

Minister Anzuluni confirmed that the Kinshasa summit will serve as a turning point for Congo’s leadership in regional peacebuilding, especially amid continuing insecurity in the country’s east caused by the M23-RDF rebellion supported by Rwanda.

“We are not coming to settle scores, but to find solutions,” Anzuluni told reporters.

“For the DRC’s mandate, the major issue remains peace. The ICGLR is a multilateral framework where member countries, including those facing crises like Sudan and the Central African Republic, work collectively to end conflicts and drive development.”

By taking the helm of the ICGLR, the DRC hopes to intensify diplomatic efforts for peace, reinforce the implementation of the Luanda and Nairobi roadmaps, and mobilise financial support for programmes that can stabilise the region.

Building on the Luanda Legacy

At the 9th ICGLR Summit in Luanda (June 2023), regional leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the joint Luanda and Nairobi peace processes, which outline a coordinated approach to restoring security in eastern DRC.

That meeting also urged Rwanda to cease its support for the AFC-M23 rebellion and instead play a constructive role in fostering economic integration and peaceful coexistence within the region.

Kinshasa’s upcoming summit aims to continue those efforts, while expanding the discussion to cover regional integration, refugee movements, taxation policies, and governance.

Preparations Underway

As part of the summit’s preparatory process, 12 statutory ICGLR meetings were scheduled, nine of which have already been completed. These included sessions of Chiefs of General Staff from member states, focused on strengthening military cooperation and information sharing against cross-border armed groups.

Minister Anzuluni noted that Congo’s assumption of the ICGLR presidency is both symbolic and strategic, a clear sign that, despite facing aggression, Kinshasa remains a pillar of regional diplomacy and peace advocacy.

The Great Lakes Framework

Formed in 2006, the ICGLR comprises 12 member states: Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.

Its mission is to promote peace, security, democracy, and development across a region long scarred by instability but rich in natural and human potential.

For President Tshisekedi, hosting the 10th Summit in Kinshasa solidifies the DRC’s role as the diplomatic hub of the Great Lakes, reaffirming his government’s conviction that African problems require African solutions.

“Under President Tshisekedi’s leadership, the DRC is transforming from a victim of regional conflicts into an architect of regional peace,” said a senior foreign ministry official.