Luanda - A joint ministerial meeting of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community (EAC) kicked off on Monday (17) in Harare, Zimbabwe, with the aim of reviewing the security situation prevailing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
According to a press release, the event, in which Angola is represented by the minister of Foreign Affairs, Téte António, will also consider the report of the Joint Meeting of the Chiefs of Staff of the Defence Forces on the ceasefire and cessation of hostilities in the DRC.
The joint meeting also aims to address the establishment of a Technical Coordination Mechanism at Secretariat level to monitor the implementation of the Joint Summit decisions and the development of a detailed roadmap with immediate, medium and long-term implementation measures, including financing arrangements.
This is the second meeting of its kind in the history of the two regional blocs on the African continent, following the one held recently in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.
In the Tanzanian capital, the Joint Summit expressed concern about the deteriorating security situation in eastern DR Congo, which has resulted in the loss of human lives and a large number of displaced people, creating a humanitarian crisis.
FMA/VIC/CF/jmc
