Mwapinga hails FP-ICGLR, Oxfam deal as milestone for Great Lakes Region
Secretary General of the Forum of Parliaments of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (FP-ICGLR), Ambassador Dr Deo Mwapinga (left) and Oxfam’s DRC Country Director, Dr Mangundu display documents after signing a Memorandum of Understanding in Kinshasa. PHOTO|COURTESY
The ceremony brought together senior leaders, including the Speaker of the Republic of Angola and current FP-ICGLR President, Carolina Cerqueira, Oxfam leaders Dr Manenji Mangundu, Country Director in the DRC and Programme Director Machinda Marogwe, who represented Oxfam Africa Director Ms Fati N’Zi-Hassane. Ambassadors from ICGLR member states and parliamentarians also attended.
Kinshasa. Secretary General of the Forum of Parliaments of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (FP-ICGLR), Ambassador Dr Deo Mwapinga, has described a new partnership with Oxfam in Africa as a turning point for addressing the region’s longstanding challenges.
Speaking during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on September 23, 2025, in Kinshasa, Dr Mwapinga said the agreement was “more than a document,” stressing that it represents a framework for collaboration and a commitment to action.
“This is a signal of our determination to respond to the realities facing the Great Lakes Region,” he said.
The ceremony brought together senior leaders, including the Speaker of the Republic of Angola and current FP-ICGLR President, Carolina Cerqueira, Oxfam leaders Dr Manenji Mangundu, Country Director in the DRC and Programme Director Machinda Marogwe, who represented Oxfam Africa Director Ms Fati N’Zi-Hassane. Ambassadors from ICGLR member states and parliamentarians also attended.
Dr Mwapinga spoke of persistent challenges of insecurity, poverty, inequality, weak social systems and recurring humanitarian crises that continue to affect the region. He lamented that global funding often bypasses the Great Lakes, leaving it marginalised.
“This imbalance must be corrected,” he said, adding that the MoU should not remain symbolic but must deliver projects, co-funding strategies and practical programmes that meet community needs.
Oxfam’s DRC Country Director, Dr Mangundu, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to turn the MoU into action.
“At Oxfam, we are fully committed to working hand in hand with the Forum to ensure this partnership delivers real change.
We will support efforts that strengthen democracy, inclusive governance, human rights, and gender equality,” he said.
He added that Oxfam remains focused on responding to humanitarian crises while helping communities build resilience and amplifying citizen voices.
Dr Mwapinga called for a shift in perceptions of the Great Lakes from being seen as a “troublesome region” to one that is “innovating, building solutions and shaping its own destiny.”
He praised Oxfam’s dedication, singling out Dr Mangundu as a “champion of today’s event,” and urged governments, parliaments, donors and civil society to rally behind the MoU to transform it into a living framework for action.
The FP-ICGLR–Oxfam partnership is expected to open new pathways for peace and sustainable development in the region. Based on co-design, co-mobilisation and co-implementation, it seeks to ensure that local voices are heard, priorities reflected and lives improved.
“The time is now to act. Our people deserve nothing less,” Dr Mwapinga said.
