Luanda - The new executive secretary of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), the Angolan João Samuel Caholo, defended last Friday, in Luanda, the need for focus on political mediation and active diplomacy for the resolution of various conflicts that plague the region.
Speaking to the press, after his confirmation in office, João Samuel Caholo said that, for this purpose, a programme for restructuring and renewing the Executive Secretariat will be carried out, to make it an effective and efficient multilateral executive instrument, to respond to the expectations of member countries and international cooperation partners.
The confirmation act happened during the 8th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of ICGLR through videoconference, from the Republic of Congo, with the participation of President João Lourenço.
The elected executive secretary said that “in carrying out my mission, I will dedicate myself to structuring issues of the pact institutions, political mediation and the active diplomacy, to work and act in the interest of the region”.
He considered the above factors to be “important for promoting peace, security, stability and development of member countries”.
According to the diplomat, similarly to what happens on the African continent, the region of the Great Lakes is faced with numerous problems, which require listening to states to seek consensus that will allow the implementation of essentials economic projects facilitate the economic integration of member countries.
To the new secretary, the Great Lakes region does not escape the tragedies of the continent and, thanks to the different positions he held in SADC and in the African Union, he has a database about the subject.
The candidacy of Angolan João Samuel Caholo was validated on the 7th of this month, during the 7th Virtual Meeting of the ICGLR Inter-Ministerial Regional Committee, held from Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo.
The diplomat João Caholo takes replaces the Congolese Zachary Muburi-Muita.
João Samuel Caholo, 64, was born in the city of Luena (eastern province of Moxico). He is a geologist and has served Angolan diplomacy for over 20 years years.
His long and vast diplomatic experience includes the functions of executive secretary Deputy for Regional Integration of SADC (2009-2013) and Deputy Executive Secretary of SADC (2005–2009).
As a diplomat, he also worked for the African Union and the European Union, in all member countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), as well as in countries in North, East, West and Central Africa.
He has also dedicated his knowledge to missions entrusted to him, in the Nordic countries, Western Europe and the Russian Federation, North America, South America and Asia.
