Kigali hosts the 7th Conference of City Mayors of the Great Lakes Region
The City of Kigali hosts the 7th Conference of city mayors from Burundi, Rwanda, and Democratic Republic of Congo.
The 7th conference of the sub-region of the French-speaking countries precedes the 89th meeting of the Bureau of the International Association of Francophone (AIMF) Mayors scheduled on Monday, June 3, 2019 in Kigali.
This conference follows the invitation of Marie Chantal Rwakazina, Mayor of Kigali and Anne Hidalgo, President of the AIMF.
Speaking at the official opening of the Conference on Saturday, June 01, 2019, Marie Chantal Rwakazina, Mayor of the City of Kigali said that the conference is held under the theme of “Memory and Living together”
“With the choice of this theme we hope that at this general meeting we will have developed strategies to enhance peace promotion through dialogue initiatives with the lead of women and youth from the countries of the Great Lakes region.”
At his point, the Permanent Secretary of the AIMF Mr. Pierre BAILLET explained that “While basing on the unimaginable past in the Great Lakes Region, to advance there must be a frank dialogue to give justice to the victims.”
The History of the Great Lakes Region was characterized by conflicts where millions of people died and others fled their homes due to periods of insecurities.
For Rwanda, the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi destroyed the country and its citizens.
However, Rwanda’s Minister of Local Government Prof. Anastase Shyaka through his address said that “Rwanda is the example which shows that the solution of the regional problems is possible.”
The meeting in Kigali marks the importance of Rwanda’s place in the AIMF network and the interest of French-speaking cities in Rwandan experiences with particular reference to memory and reconciliation, economic development and sport as a way of living together.
