World Bank president, UN chief to visit Africa's Great Lakes region

The World Bank said on Monday that its President Jim Yong Kim and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will make a joint visit to Africa's Great Lakes region in support of a landmark peace agreement and to push for economic development in the troubled region. "The visit will draw attention to the plight of fragile and conflict-affected countries struggling to meet the Millennium Development Goals and will highlight the commitment of the two international organizations to jointly tackle global conflict and poverty," said the World Bank in a statement. Kim and Ban will travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) from May 22-23, Rwanda from May 23-24, and Uganda on May 24. Their trip follows a ground-breaking agreement signed in February by 11 African nations to end conflict in the DRC and bring peace to the Great Lakes region. Kim and Ban will meet with the DRC leaders and government officials and discuss how the UN and the World Bank can best support the agreement, according to the statement. "The leaders of the Great Lakes region will be the key drivers of peace, stability and economic growth. We pledge that the United Nations and the World Bank Group will work closely together in new and deeper ways, following the governments' lead," said Kim.