Luanda - The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Thursday in Harare, Zimbabwe, reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to working with Mozambique to ensure peace, security and stability through the body's cooperation structures in the areas of politics, defense and security.
The Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the regional organization received an update from the Mozambican President, Filipe Nyusi, on the post-election political and security situation in that country.
The summit expressed its condolences to the Mozambican government and people for the deaths of citizens during the post-election violence, according to the final communiqué of the meeting to which ANGOP had access Thursday.
SADC extends mission in eastern DRC
The summit extended the mandate of the SADC mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC) for a period of one year, with a view to continue the regional response to the situation of instability and insecurity prevailing in the east of the DRC.
It called for the intensification of coordinated efforts for a peaceful and sustainable resolution of the conflict in the DRC among all stakeholders, within the common framework for coordination and harmonization of peace initiatives and processes in that country, as agreed at the Quadripartite Summit held on 27 June 2023 in Luanda.
The Summit, chaired by Emmerson Mnagagwa, President of Zimbabwe and of the organization, condemned the persistent violations of the ceasefire decreed on 4 August 2024 and called on all parties to fully comply with their obligations to preserve peace and security in the region.
The meeting expressed concern at the continued deterioration of the humanitarian and security situation in the east of the DRC and reiterated SADC's support for the DRC government to resolve the conflict and achieve lasting peace, stability and security in the country.
It congratulated Angolan president João Lourenço “for his tireless efforts, through the Luanda Process, to restore lasting peace in the east of the DRC and for his mediation efforts to achieve a ceasefire between the DRC and Rwanda”.
The participants saluted the SAMIDRC leadership and all the personnel deployed to the Mission for their sacrifices, dedication and commitment to peace, stability and security in the east of the DRC.
Angola’s Minister of Defense, Former Combatants and Veterans of the Homeland, João Ernesto dos Santos attended the meeting on behalf of President João Lourenço, and presented the Troika Summit of the Organ and the contributing countries with personnel in the SADC Mission in the DRC with a report on the ongoing mediation, within the framework of the “Luanda Process”.
The SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government is responsible for the overall political direction of the region and overseeing the functioning of the organization, ultimately formulating the policies that ensure the stability and development of the 16 member states. DC/AMP
