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DRC, Mozambique elections top Sadc summit agenda
10 Nov 2024 at 10:44hrs | Views
President Emmerson Mnangagwa will lead the Extraordinary Southern African Development Community (SADC) Heads of State and Government Summit on Wednesday, focusing on pressing regional issues, including the SADC Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC), recent elections in Mozambique and Botswana, and Namibia's upcoming polls.
The SAMIDRC mandate, set to expire at the end of December, will be a primary agenda item. SADC leaders are expected to evaluate the mission's progress in supporting the DRC government's efforts to restore peace in its eastern region and discuss the potential renewal of SAMIDRC to address ongoing security challenges.
The summit will also review the recent elections in Mozambique, held on October 9, and Botswana, on October 30, as well as Namibia's upcoming polls on November 27, underscoring SADC's commitment to democratic governance within the region.
The summit will begin on November 16 with registration for attending officials, followed by a series of committee and ministerial meetings. A senior officials' meeting, chaired by Tanzania, will take place on November 17, alongside a session of the Ministerial Committee on the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security Cooperation, also led by Tanzania.
On November 18, the Standing Committee of Senior Officials and the Finance Committee will convene under the chairmanship of Zimbabwe's Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ambassador Albert Chimbindi. Zimbabwe will also preside over the SADC Council of Ministers meeting later that day.
November 19 will feature meetings for the Organ Troika's senior officials and ministers, chaired by Tanzania. The Organ Troika Summit will follow on November 20, paving the way for the Heads of State and Government session in the afternoon, where President Mnangagwa will lead discussions on committee recommendations.
Ambassador Chimbindi highlighted the SAMIDRC mandate as a priority, stating, "An extraordinary summit speaks about a specific issue, and among the top issues to be discussed is the mandate of the mission in DRC, which is set to expire soon. So, the summit will review it to see if the mandate of the mission can be renewed."
Information Minister Dr. Jenfan Muswere confirmed that preparations for the summit are underway, with technical sub-committees already meeting to ensure a smooth event.
"Technical sub-committees have already started convening meetings to prepare for the extraordinary summit," Dr. Muswere noted, emphasizing that established protocols from the 44th SADC Summit would support the preparations.
The extraordinary summit offers SADC leaders a critical opportunity to address regional security and governance issues, reflecting the bloc's proactive stance on stability and democratic processes across Southern Africa.
The SAMIDRC mandate, set to expire at the end of December, will be a primary agenda item. SADC leaders are expected to evaluate the mission's progress in supporting the DRC government's efforts to restore peace in its eastern region and discuss the potential renewal of SAMIDRC to address ongoing security challenges.
The summit will also review the recent elections in Mozambique, held on October 9, and Botswana, on October 30, as well as Namibia's upcoming polls on November 27, underscoring SADC's commitment to democratic governance within the region.
The summit will begin on November 16 with registration for attending officials, followed by a series of committee and ministerial meetings. A senior officials' meeting, chaired by Tanzania, will take place on November 17, alongside a session of the Ministerial Committee on the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security Cooperation, also led by Tanzania.
On November 18, the Standing Committee of Senior Officials and the Finance Committee will convene under the chairmanship of Zimbabwe's Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ambassador Albert Chimbindi. Zimbabwe will also preside over the SADC Council of Ministers meeting later that day.
November 19 will feature meetings for the Organ Troika's senior officials and ministers, chaired by Tanzania. The Organ Troika Summit will follow on November 20, paving the way for the Heads of State and Government session in the afternoon, where President Mnangagwa will lead discussions on committee recommendations.
Ambassador Chimbindi highlighted the SAMIDRC mandate as a priority, stating, "An extraordinary summit speaks about a specific issue, and among the top issues to be discussed is the mandate of the mission in DRC, which is set to expire soon. So, the summit will review it to see if the mandate of the mission can be renewed."
Information Minister Dr. Jenfan Muswere confirmed that preparations for the summit are underway, with technical sub-committees already meeting to ensure a smooth event.
"Technical sub-committees have already started convening meetings to prepare for the extraordinary summit," Dr. Muswere noted, emphasizing that established protocols from the 44th SADC Summit would support the preparations.
The extraordinary summit offers SADC leaders a critical opportunity to address regional security and governance issues, reflecting the bloc's proactive stance on stability and democratic processes across Southern Africa.
Source - sundaymail
