Great Lakes leaders meet over DR Congo crisisBy XINHUA | Wednesday, August 8  2012 at  10:50

Heads of state from Africa's Great Lakes Region on Tuesday started a two-day meeting in the Ugandan capital Kampala in a bid to end escalating fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

The summit convened under the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), a regional organisation and brought together 11 member states.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, Rwanda's Paul Kagame, Tanzania's Jakaya Kikwete, Burundi's Pierre Nkurunziza and DRC's Joseph Kabila are attending the closed door meeting.

Other ICGLR member states Angola, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Kenya, Sudan and Zambia sent government representatives.

High on agenda is the creation of an international or regional force to oversee the security on the common border between the DRC and Rwanda.

A ministerial report to the heads of state recommended that regional ministers of defense, experts from the African Union, United Nations and other organizations meet before Aug. 15 to discuss troop contribution and the logistical and financial needs of the force.