By SYLVESTER MWALE  in Luanda, ANGOLA? –
DEFENCE ministers in the Great Lakes Region meeting here have resolved?to provide financial and material support towards efforts of sustaining peace and security in the region.
The ministers in the 12 State-member region have also expressed concerned about the unrest in Burundi and called for dialogue to end the protests against President Pierre Nkurunziza.
The resolutions by the Defence ministers is a prelude to the Extraordinary Summit of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) on Monday which President Edgar Lungu is expected to attend.

. Mulenga

Defence Deputy Minister Christopher Mulenga, who has been attending the?meetings, said the ministers had agreed to be alert and thwart any form of criminality that could compromise peace and surety.
“We resolved quite a number of things and one of them is to promote dialogue among these countries that are at war with negative forces that are coming and destabilising their peace,” he said.
“We also resolved to assist materially and financially to the Great Lakes Region so that we can reach out and assist the region in ensuring that there is peace.”
The resolution also carried a strong condemnation of the recent terrorist attack at Kenya’s Garissa University last month where about 150 students were killed. The resolutions would be fed into the main summit on Monday.
Mr Mulenga said the ministers emphasized the need to combat terrorism?in the region in order to promote development.
He said while Zambia was admired by other countries for its peace since independence, there was also need to safeguard the situation to enjoy development.
Apart from the meetings by Defence ministers, Zambia’s Foreign Affairs?Minister Harry Kalaba was yesterday expected to attend another meeting?for Foreign Affairs ministers ahead of the Extraordinary Summit.
The Extraordinary Summit comes against increasing concerns on security and humanitarian situations in a number of member countries.
Besides Burundi where more than 100,000 people have been forced out of?the country since protests began last month, the heads of State would have to discuss the war in South Sudan where warring factions have failed to respect peace accords.
The presidents would also be updated on the situation in the Central African Republic where Zambia recently contributed 750 troops for a peace keeping mission under the African Union.?President Lungu is expected on Sunday in the Angolan capital.
Meanwhile, Mr Kalaba has said Zambia can not be comfortable if neigbouring countries, especially those in the Great Lakes Region are experiencing conflict.