Great Lakes Region

The Great Lakes region is very rich in raw materials such as gold, copper, coltan or diamonds, is home to the second largest rainforest area on earth, and is therefore highly significant in ecological and economic terms. Due to its political volatility, ethnic tensions and violent conflicts, it has repeatedly been the focus of attention in the EU and the international community.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in particular, has an extremely fragile security situation. Especially the eastern parts of the country have been shaken by battles between government troops and the insurgent Mouvement du 23 Mars (M23). This has also led to diplomatic tensions between the DRC and Rwanda. The humanitarian situation is dire: Nearly 6 million people are internally displaced persons (IDPs) – the highest number in Africa. Roughly 27 million (out of a total population of 93 million) suffer from acute food insecurity. Regional peace efforts such as the Luanda Roadmap or Nairobi III are efforts to support the United Nations Mission for Stabilization in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) in consolidating peace.

President Yoweri Museveni has ruled Uganda since 1986. A 2005 constitutional amendment allows him to serve an unlimited number of terms; his most recent re-election was in 2021. Uganda maintains an "open door policy" and currently hosts 1.5 million refugees, including 857,000 from South Sudan and 480,500 from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Uganda is the largest troop contributor to the African Union Transitional Mission for Somalia (ATMIS), with over 6200 troops and about 400 police units. A very strict anti-homosexuality law has been, leading to international protests since March 2023.

Burundi experienced severe human rights abuses during President Nkurunziza's time in office between 2015 and 2020, forcing hundreds of thousands to flee to neighbouring countries. Since the peaceful transition in June 2020 that led to the election of President Évariste Ndayishimiye and the formation of a new government, positive momentum has developed and the situation has noticeably eased.

In Rwanda, which has experienced a strong economic resurgence for several years, President Paul Kagame has ruled since 2000. His goal is to make the country a "middle-income country" by 2035. While many economic indicators in Rwanda are steadily improving, Kagame has come under criticism for ruling the country in an authoritarian manner and cutting back the freedom of expression.

A particularly important player in the Great Lakes region is the East African Community (EAC) – an association including Tanzania, Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Its goal is to link the participating states more closely through projects such as a monetary union, a common visa regime and joint infrastructure projects. A major step in this direction was a common market for all EAC States in 2010. Within the next few years, the confederation also intends to move closer towards a common currency. Its headquarters are in Arusha, Tanzania.

Austria is represented in the Great Lakes Region through the Austrian Embassy in Nairobi, the Cooperation Office of the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) in Kampala, Uganda, and the Foreign Trade Center in Lagos (Nigeria).