Sadc leaders discuss regional security 

The Southern African Development Community (Sadc) has expressed reservations on the passage of the Countering Malign Russian Activities in Africa Act by the United States (US) House of Representatives.

In a communiqué issued at the end of the 42nd Ordinary Summit of Sadc Heads of State and Government in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the leaders of the 16-member regional bloc said they view the new law as a tool for unilateral and punitive measures targeting Africa.

The Act, passed in April 2022 according to information sourced from US Congress website, seeks to direct the Secretary of State of the US to develop and submit to Congress a strategy and implementation plan outlining United States efforts to counter Russian influence in Africa.

The summit also passed a number of resolutions aimed at improving security in member States and the region as a whole.

Among other things, it reviewed the security situation in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado Province. While commending countries contributing personnel to the Sadc Mission in Mozambique for their solidarity and sacrifice, the summit resolved to extend the mission and its related services in the country. In the past year, nine personnel under the mission lost their lives.

According to the communique, concerns were also raised on the latest security situation in eastern DRC.

“Summit expressed concern and solidarity on the latest security developments in eastern DRC, and mandated the chairperson of the Ministerial Committee of the Organ, supported by the Organ Troika FIB [Force Intervention Brigade] Troop Contributing Countries, to engage the UN Secretary General on the margins of the UN General Assembly in September 2022, to explore all avenues to support efforts towards improving the security situation,” it reads in part.

In a bid to improve counter-terrorism measures, the summit welcomed the establishment of Sadc Regional Counter-Terrorism Centre in Tanzania with a call for member states to ensure there is stronger cooperation and information sharing on terrorism, radicalism and violent extremism.

President Lazarus Chakwera, who returned home yesterday afternoon, handed over the Sadc chairmanship to DRC President Felix Tshisekedi during the summit on Wednesday.

The summit was held under the theme ‘Promoting Industrialisation through, Agro-Processing, Mineral Beneficiation, and Regional Value Chains for Inclusive and Resilient Economic Growth’.

Sadc is an inter-governmental organisation headquartered in Gaborone, Botswana. Its goal is to further regional socio-economic cooperation and integration as well as political and security cooperation among 16 countries in southern Africa.