Brig. Gen. Charles Simuyuni Nakeempa Appointed Head of Great Lakes Regional Border

Kigali, January 24, 2026 - Livingstone, Zambia, January 13, 2026 - Brigadier General Charles Simuyuni Nakeempa of the Zambian army has been appointed as the new head of the Great Lakes Africa Regional Joint Border Security Mechanism (MCVE/EJVM). The decision was made during a meeting of regional defense ministers held on January 10, 2026, in Livingstone, Zambia. Rwanda’s Defence Minister Juvenal Marizamunda attended the meeting.

The regional council also announced that Colonel Arlindo Sebastiao Vandunem Fernandes from Angola will serve as deputy head of the EJVM.

Established in September 2012, the EJVM was created to manage and resolve border security disputes between member countries through investigation and military expertise. The body is headquartered in Goma and has played a key role in de-escalating regional conflicts and assisting in operations involving cross-border security incidents.

The EJVM has been involved in numerous border security interventions, including the July 20, 2021 operation when Rwanda handed over 19 fighters of the RED Tabara armed group captured in Nyungwe Park to Burundi, with EJVM personnel participating in the process.