By Cecilia Chiluba/Zambia/Lusaka
Zambia will next week host a high-level ministerial meeting aimed at addressing the deteriorating security situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Defence, the three-day meeting will be held from Thursday, January 8 to Saturday, January 10, 2026, in Livingstone.
The meeting is being convened at the request of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), a request which Zambia has accepted.
All 12 Ministers of Defence and Chiefs of Defence Forces (CDFs) from ICGLR member states are expected to attend.
The regional bloc comprises Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
The Ministry of Defence will host the meeting, which is expected to focus on coordinated regional efforts to restore peace and stability in eastern DRC, an area that has experienced persistent insecurity.
Ministry’s Principal Public Relations Officer Paul Shalala, said Zambia’s decision to host the meeting reflects the country’s long-standing commitment to regional peace and stability.
“Zambia is an advocate of peace, guided by President and Commander-In-Chief of the Zambia Defence Mr. Hakainde Hichilema’s belief that instability anywhere is instability everywhere,” Mr. Shalala said.
Mr. Shalala added that Minister of Defence, Ambrose Lufuma, is expected to chair the meeting.
He said the meeting underscores Zambia’s desire to contribute to lasting solutions to the conflict in the DRC through dialogue and collective regional action.
Zambia shares a long border with the DRC and has historically played an active role in regional peace initiatives.
