After months of negotiations, HRVP Josep Borrell has finally decided on the name of the EU’s representative in the Great Lakes region, reports Jeune Afrique. This decision marks the end of a process that unfolded amid conflict between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda. The appointment of a special representative for the Great Lakes region is critical for Brussels to clarify the EU’s strategy. According to Jeune Afrique sources, Josep Borrell confirmed the selection of Swedish diplomat Johan Borgstam for the job. The head of EU diplomacy communicated this decision to the ambassadors of member countries in a letter dated July 16, which Jeune Afrique consulted.
The current Swedish Ambassador to Greece, Johan Borgstam, has extensive experience in Africa and the Great Lakes region. He served as the Ambassador of Sweden to the DRC from 2008 to 2011, followed by his diplomatic representation in Kenya between 2012 and 2017. Subsequently, he served as the European Union Ambassador to Ethiopia from 2017 to 2021.
As the EU and its Member States reiterate in their renewed strategy for the Great Lakes, the security, stability, and prosperity of the countries in the region are of paramount importance. However, in an open letter to the HRVP and the EU member states’ Foreign Ministers in March 2024, 17 European civil society organisations and platforms expressed their concern about the escalating violence and deteriorating humanitarian situation in the East of the DRC. They questioned the EU’s and its Member States’ response in the region, which they perceive as inadequate and uncoordinated.
The organisations have called on the EU and its Member States to increase their diplomatic efforts in the region and recommended the appointment of an EU Special Representative and adequate budget allocation.
