Sadc leaders meet on Mozambique
President Lazarus Chakwera will today leave for Maputo for a Southern Africa Development Community (Sadc) Extraordinary Double Troika Summit to discuss measures to address an Islamic insurgency in northern Mozambique.
Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi, who is also chairperson of the Sadc Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, convened the emergency meeting on Tuesday after rebels attacked Palma Town in Cabo Delgado Province on March 24, killing dozens of people and displacing about 11 000 others.
Asked which other government officials will form Malawi’s delegation to the two-day summit, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Rejoice Shumba said the ministry normally reaches out to invited ministries, departments and agencies to nominate officers for participation.
A statement posted on the Sadc website, said the bloc’s defence and security clusters comprising military, intelligence and police services from member States will kick-start the meeting today.
This will be followed by another meeting of the commanders of the countries’ defence and security clusters, implying that both the Malawi Defence Force and Malawi Police Service will send representatives.
The statement reads in part: “The meetings wi ll be capped by a ministerial meeting of the Troika composed of foreign affairs ministers from Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Botswana.”
Speaking ahead of the summit, Masisi said Sadc is deeply concerned about the situation in Cabo Delgado, adding the attacks were an affront to peace and security not only in Mozambique, but also in the region and the international community as a whole.
Meanwhile, Chakwera is preparing to assume the rotational leadership of Sadc in August and he will take over from the Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi, the current chairperson.
The Sadc Double Troika comprises Sadc Troika members namely Mozambique, Malawi and Tanzania as well as member States of the Troika of the Sadc Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation (Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe).
The Extraordinary Double Troika Summit was preceded by various supporting technical meetings held yesterday
