The Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, His Grace Stephen Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu, has appealed to leaders in the Great Lakes region to ensure peace prevails. He urged the leaders to meet and talk instead of fighting.
His Grace Kazimba made the appeal during his pastoral visit and outreach to children in Nakivale Refugee Settlement, in Isingiro District in Ankole Diocese, on Thursday, where he officially launched the Church of Uganda’s Children’s Focus Month 2025 under the theme “Doing Good for Children”.
The region is facing several conflicts that have forced its citizens to seek asylum. The DRC is at the centre of the region’s security crisis; its position as ICGLR chair offers a chance to revive collective security.
Nearly 10 months after seizing Goma, M23 rebels still hold much of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)’s North and South Kivu provinces. Since regionally driven peace initiatives have stalled, mediation efforts have shifted to external actors such as the United States (US) and Qatar. Many of the refugees in the Nakivale refugee camp are from the DRC
Kazimba said that the most important thing is to ensure that peace is really given attention by people and leaders, noting that every person should ensure that things related to do with fighting are stopped.
“It is such a challenge to leave your home, your parents, your children, to leave your relatives and go to different areas, as leaders, let us promote the spirit of speaking with one another, when we fight, many other people suffer”. Kazimba Mugalu said.
Kazimba asked the Great Lakes region leaders to prioritize dialogue for peace.
“Many die, including the younger people, so I want to call upon leaders in the Great Lakes region, please meet and talk, end the war, so that innocent people do not suffer.
When launching the Children’s month, at St Peter Kashojwa Church of Uganda, His Grace Kazimba said that the children in camps face critical and urgent needs due to ongoing food shortages, limited access to basic services, and trauma, noting that such vulnerability threatens their future and limits their access to opportunities in life.
Johnson Faraj, a child refugee, said that as children, they face challenges that include food insecurity, which forces them to have one type of meal a day. Access to safe water and sanitation, limited access to education and healthcare, especially to children with disabilities, overcrowding, and poor living conditions.
Tryphosa Byakika, the Assistant Protection Officer at UNHCR, said that Uganda had close to two million refugees (1,961,000) as of the end of October 2025, the majority of whom (1 million) were children under the age of 18. She added that women and girls constituted 51% of the refugee population.
Through Household Community Transformation, the Church of Uganda has reached out to over 3000 refugees with food and non-food relief, psychosocial support and counselling, and awareness campaigns, and this time the Archbishop again donated baby blankets, clothes, sanitary pads, and school materials among others.
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