Countries of the Great Lakes region, the African Union and United Nations, have come together to work out a long-term strategy to promote peace in the region. Representatives of the two organisations, together with those from the Great Lakes countries comprising Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), met here recently and pledged to work towards quelling wars that have engulfed the region. The meeting, called the International Conference For Peace, Security, Democracy and Development for the Great Lakes Region, was the first of its kind.