President Museveni has officially taken over the chairmanship of the Regional Oversight Mechanism (ROM) of the Peace, Security, and Cooperation (PSC) Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Great Lakes Region.
The handover took place during the 12th High-Level ROM Summit held at State House Entebbe, where the outgoing chair, President Évariste Ndayishimiye of Burundi, passed the mantle to President Museveni for a two-year term.
In his inaugural address, President Museveni underscored the need for strong political will among regional leaders and cautioned against excessive foreign interference, which he said often exacerbates internal conflicts.
> “We know what the problem is, and it can be solved. But we must have the political will. Foreigners should limit their involvement, as they often embolden the mistake-makers,” Museveni said.
The PSC Framework, signed in 2013 under the auspices of the United Nations, African Union, International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), seeks to address the root causes of instability in eastern DRC through coordinated regional action.
President Museveni praised his predecessor for laying a strong foundation and reiterated that the region’s longstanding issues—particularly in countries like Rwanda, Burundi, DRC, Kenya, and Tanzania—are solvable through internal resolve.
> “These are our people. In my opinion, these problems are easy to solve. The real challenge lies in philosophy, ideology, and strategy,” he said.
He also attributed the persistent conflict in eastern DRC to identity politics and historical foreign interference, tracing it back to the regimes of Mobutu Sese Seko and Juvenal Habyarimana.
> “When Mobutu’s army was defeated in Rwanda and fled to Goma with Habyarimana, we urged Mobutu to disarm them. He refused, relying on foreign backing instead of regional cooperation. That was a critical mistake,” Museveni explained.
President Ndayishimiye congratulated Museveni on his new role and pledged Burundi’s continued support.
The summit was attended by heads of state and representatives from the PSC Framework signatory countries, including Uganda, Angola, Burundi, Congo, DRC, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Zambia. Representatives from the African Union, ICGLR, United Nations, and other regional partners also participated as guarantors and observers.
