Uganda's Speaker of Parliament engages DR Congo's counterpart on Regional Trade and Security.

15 November 2024

By; Isaac Senabulya

Speaker of Parliament of Uganda Rt.Hon Anita Annet Among has met a delegation of Members of Parliament from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with regional security and commerce top on the agenda.

Speaker Among said,Security is critical in enabling integration and growing the trade portfolio between the two countries, which is currently undermined by insecurity and terrorist activities especially in Eastern DRC.

“We are very eager to increase and improve cross-border trade; ensure there is peace and security in the two countries, and you cannot do business when you don’t have peace,” she said.

With focus on Parliamentary Diplomacy, Speaker Among said Members of Parliament between the two countries should be the anchors and guarantors of peace and prosperity for their peoples.

“The meeting will deliberate upon legislative cooperation especially between the DRC and Uganda, we can be able to benchmark and mutually learn best practices from one another; it is between you and me who are representatives of the people to ensure they have peace and can go about their businesses without hindrance,” she said.

The head of the DRC delegation, Hon Lambert Mende, expressed confidence in the strong bilateral relations between the two countries, saying Parliament should be the focal point for bolstering cooperation.

The speaker of Ugandan parliament and Mende, agreed to form a Uganda-DRC Parliamentary Friendship Group to bolster diplomatic ties between the two countries.

“The purpose of this meeting is to strengthen the relations between DRC and Uganda, and we should form a DRC – Uganda friendship group to foster peace, cooperation and good neighbourliness,” he said.

The unending conflict in the largest East African country, said Hon Mende, requires urgent attention, as it “imposes a severe hardship on the communities living in the neighbourhood.”

Uganda's Clerk to Parliament Hon Adolf Mwesige and some Members of Parliament from bordering districts of Kisoro and Ntoroko were in attendance and these shortly had a private meeting with the delegation on the Speaker's request.