Statement of Senegal at the Open Debate on the Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Prevention and Resolution of Conflicts in the Great Lakes Region, March, 2016

In addition to the evolving aftermath of those tragedies, other regional conflicts have exacted a heavy toll on the trust and relations among States, creating challenges and substantial limits to necessary regional cooperation. Indeed, various reports on the subject, including those of the Secretary-General, reveal an emerging pattern in the the causes and manifestations of the crises wracking the region. Without being exhaustive, we can identify the following, inter alia: the growing number of armed non-State entities; inter-community or ethnic tensions; problems pertaining to governance and democracy; the illegal exploitation of natural resources that fuel conflicts; the cyclical flows of refugees and internally displaced persons, and their resulting humanitarian consequences; the high number of civilian victims in that context of insecurity; sexual and gender-based abuse, particularly against women and girls; and lest we forget, the poignant case of children who are often recruited by warring parties. 

In conclusion, I should like to stress the importance of the development aspect of the search for solutions to the challenges facing the Great Lakes region, and call for the full inclusion not only of women, but also of young people, who need to be included in the private sector of the Great Lakes region.