Kevin J. Kelley, Special Correspondent
10 January 2006
New York — Tanzania will use its presidency of the United Nations Security Council this month to focus world attention on the crises and opportunities for peace and development in East Africa.
Taking up the rotating leadership of the top UN decision-making body, Tanzanian ambassador Augustine Mahiga outlined the Security Council's agenda for January at a press briefing at the world body's headquarters in New York last week.
Mr Mahiga highlighted a scheduled January 27 ministerial-level open debate on events and prospects in the Great Lakes region.
The foreign ministers of all the countries in the region are expected to travel to New York for the debate, which will also include presentations from the foreign ministers of the 15 countries that comprise the Security Council.
"This is time to revisit and have a high-profile discussion involving the ministers after the Security Council Mission of last year," Mr Mahiga said, recalling Council representatives' visit to the Great Lakes in November.
"We expect this meeting to have some important outcomes," Mr Mahiga added, predicting that the Council will adopt a resolution aimed at helping consolidate peace in the region.
The 59-year-old Tanzanian diplomat pointed out that some positive developments had occurred in the Great Lakes countries in recent months.
He cited Burundi's successful transition to a democratically elected government as well as progress by Rwanda and Uganda toward greater regional stability.
Mr Mahiga said it is also crucial to give encouragement to the Democratic Republic of Congo following its recent referendum, which is expected to lead to national elections on June 30.
Sudan will be the topic of an open meeting set for January 13.
Jan Pronk, the UN secretary general's special representative for Sudan, will give the Council a report on recent developments related to the peace agreement in the south of the country and the ongoing conflict in Darfur.
The Security Council will also receive an update on the Darfur peace talks from Salim Ahmed Salim, a facilitator of the negotiations.
The standoff along the Ethiopia-Eritrea border will be discussed at a Council meeting this Monday.
Mr Mahiga will also preside over discussions on Cote d'Ivoire, Western Sahara, Haiti and Kosovo.
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