Regional Defense Chiefs Convene Emergency Talks on DR Congo Conflict

Defense ministers from Africa's Great Lakes region will hold an emergency meeting in Zambia this Saturday. The closed-door talks will focus on the escalating security crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The meeting is organized by the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), a regional bloc. Eastern DRC has seen prolonged conflict involving numerous armed groups. This has caused a severe humanitarian disaster and raised fears of a wider regional war. The ICGLR ministers aim to coordinate a regional security response. Their discussions are expected to center on stabilizing the volatile situation.