Namibia is hosting the SADC 25th Ordinary Meeting of the Ministerial Committee of the Organ (MCO) on Politics, Defence and Security Co-operation from 17 to 21 July in Windhoek.
Officially opening the meeting here Thursday, MCO chairperson Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said the organ is the main body for the promotion and protection of peace, security and stability in the SADC region.
“The meetings of the MCO are particularly to consider the security situation in the eastern DRC and northern Mozambique, where collectively we have made great strides towards strengthening the peace, security, and stability in the regions,” Nandi-Ndaitwah stated.
These, Nandi-Ndaitwah said, are critical ingredients for sustainable development, however, there are still some regions whose peace is challenged, such as the Eastern DRC.
“In this regard, our region has decided to deploy, by 30 September 2023, a SADC Standby Force Brigade Plus in support of the DRC to address the insecurity in the eastern part of the country,” the chairperson said.
Meanwhile, Nandi-Ndaitwah said the terrorists that had plagued the Northern Province of the Republic of Mozambique have been largely neutralised, and the livelihoods of internally displaced persons are being revived with the support of Friendly Forces and Humanitarian Partners.
Addressing the same meeting, SADC Executive Secretary, Elias Magosi said peace and security are the cornerstones of the regional integration agenda, on which the social and economic wellbeing of the people is premised.
“Our pursuit of a stable region is relentless, as evidenced by our continued efforts to devise and prioritise strategies and frameworks that should help us deliver on this noble obligation,” Magosi said.
Magosi further stated that this meeting will review progress on the implementation of programmes in support of regional peace, security and good governance and will receive updates and progress reports on efforts to consolidate peace, democracy and good governance.
This, he noted includes updates on migration, transnational organised crime, wildlife crime, anti-corruption, and corrections and prisons, which are areas that are equally important contributors to the peace and security architecture of the region.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency