Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Times News
Published on 2024-03-23 05:01:29
President Lazarus Chakwera embarked on a trip to Lusaka, Zambia to attend an extraordinary summit meeting of the Southern African Development Community (Sadc). In a brief media interview at Kamuzu International Airport, Chakwera highlighted the importance of the summit in addressing pressing regional issues, particularly in the realm of security.
Chakwera expressed Malawi’s commitment to strengthening ties with neighboring countries and collectively addressing security challenges facing the region. The summit, chaired by Zambia’s president and current chairperson of Sadc’s Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security Cooperation, focused on discussions involving the Organ Troika, Sadc Troika, Troop Contributing Countries to the Sadc Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (SAMIDRC), and Personnel Contributing Countries to the Sadc Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
SAMIM Personnel Contributing Countries include Angola, Botswana, DRC, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. On the other hand, SAMIDRC Troop Contributing Countries include Malawi, South Africa, and Tanzania, who are currently collaborating with the DRC.
The summit aimed to address the security situation in the DRC region, particularly focusing on the eastern part of the DRC and Cabo Delgado in northern Mozambique. Sadc provided an update on the progress of its missions, SAMIDRC and SAMIM, deployed to support the DRC and Mozambique in restoring peace, security, and stability to facilitate sustainable development.
Recent reports from Reuters on February 15, 2024, highlighted the death of two South African soldiers and wounding of three others during the DRC mission. Despite opposition claims of ill-equipped military, President Cyril Ramaphosa dismissed such allegations. The DRC mission, led by South Africa, requires contributing countries to use their own weaponry and assume responsibility for compensation.
Malawi deployed its troops for the DRC mission in December last year, with the Malawi Defence Force affirming the country’s commitment to peace and successful mission execution. The troops operating under their conditions of service are dedicated to promoting and maintaining peace and security in the region.
Sadc’s deployment of troops to the DRC coincides with the end of the United Nations Peacekeeping mission in the country (Monusco) after 20 years. Upon completion of the summit in Zambia, President Chakwera is expected to return to Malawi today around 17:30 hours.
The extraordinary summit served as a platform for regional leaders to collaborate on enhancing security measures and addressing challenges faced by the region. Malawi’s active participation in Sadc’s missions underscores its dedication to promoting peace and stability within the African continent.
Read the original article on The Times
