South African President Zuma sees glimmer of hope in Great Lakes Region

There was now an increasing glimmer of hope that the previously intractable issues of conflict and instability in the Great Lakes Region would be resolved, South African President Jacob Zuma said on Wednesday.

Zuma's observation was made public by the Presidency after he returned from Luanda, Angola where he attended the 6th Ordinary Summit of International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR).

The summit discussed, amongst other issues, the political and security situation in the Great Lakes Region including South Sudan, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African Republic.

"A full report of the ICGLR Summit will be presented at the next African Union Summit, suffice for me to say there is renewed hope that we will solve some of the conflicts that have plagued this region," said Zuma.

In this often volatile region, security was a preoccupation of the leaders who went behind closed doors to discuss the issue.

The summit elected a new executive secretary and confirmed Angola's presidency of the group for another term.

While South Africa is not a member of the ICGLR, the country is nonetheless always invited as an observer to ICGLR meetings largely due to her extensive and long-term involvement in the peace-making and peace-keeping process in the region.

Zuma, who has observer status, was accompanied by the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and Minister of State Security, Mr David Mahlobo. Endit