PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda has challenged countries in the Great Lakes Region to tackle corruption, poverty, human rights violations and diseases that have dogged the African continent.

Mr Banda said in Bujumbura, Burundi yesterday that it was important for all stakeholders in member countries to ensure systematic and full mainstreaming of the cross-cutting issues into their programmes of action during the implementation of the regional pact.

Mr Banda, who is International Conference on Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) chairperson said this during the two-day Roundtable Conference on the implementation of the pact on security, stability and development.

"We are all aware of the major ills and vices that have beset not only our region but the entire African continent. These include corruption, poverty, human rights violations, malaria and the HIV/AIDS pandemic to mention but a few," he said.