LUANDA, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Angola argued for the lifting of an arms embargo against the Central African Republic (CAR), according to a press release from the Angolan presidency distributed here.
The issue was raised by Angolan President Joao Lourenco during a UN session convened to discuss the security situation in the CAR, when he was speaking in his capacity as the acting president of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region.
Lourenco highlighted that the arms embargo has prevented the CAR from building up its armed forces for several years.
Lourenco said in the press release, "it is now while the country counts on the presence of MINUSCA (the UN peacekeeping mission in the CAR) troops and other foreign forces on the ground, the appropriate time to help the Central African Republic to train its troops so as to guarantee its own defense and security, when the foreign forces finish their mission and withdraw."
Lourenco also briefed the United Nations Security Council about regional efforts to achieve a lasting peace in the CAR.
Angola took over the rotating presidency of the African Great Lakes regional bloc in November 2020, with a commitment to promoting peace and security in the region.
