A public hearing on the situation on the African Great lakes took place on Wednesday 25th June with Jürgen Schröder MEP (Germany) leading the discussion. The area is one of the most densely populated regions of the world (about 107 million people) and covers the region of Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and DR Congo. The hearing focussed on the state of affairs in this region, which has in recent decades been marred by civil war and conflict.