SADC extraordinary summit set for Friday

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SADC extraordinary summit set for Friday

3:34 CAT | 05 Jan 2022

Image: in file Le Matinal

The secretariat of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has announced that SADC will, on Friday, hold a virtual Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government to review the progress and mandate of the SADC Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM).

SAMIM was deployed in July 2021 following approval by an Extraordinary SADC Summit held in Maputo, on 23 June 2021, as a regional response to support Mozambique in the fight against terrorism in parts of the northern province of Cabo Delgado.

Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera, the current chairperson of SADC, will chair Friday’s Extraordinary Summit.

Prior to the Summit, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his capacity as Chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation will, on Wednesday, convene an Extraordinary SADC Organ Troika Summit.

Attending this meeting will be Heads of State and Government from Organ Troika members namely; Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. Since the situation in Mozambique will certainly be at the top of the agenda, Mozambique will also attend.

The note from the SADC Secretariat said the Summit “will discuss the support for effective operation of SAMIM objectives to bring peace and stability in Cabo Delgado”.

Eight SADC member states have provided personnel for SAMIM, namely South Africa, Botswana, Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia, working under the overall coordination of the Mozambican defence forces.

A non-SADC member, Rwanda, is also supplying forces to assist in the anti-terrorist drive.

In recent weeks, the Mozambican force and their allies have overrun several terrorist bases, and have re-established government control over parts of Cabo Delgado. However, some terrorist units reacted by crossing into the neighbouring province of Niassa, where they have raided villages in the district of Mecula.

Source: AIM