The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Ministerial Committee of the Organ (MCO) on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation has reiterated a firm resolve to accelerate implementation of measures aimed at consolidating peace, security and political stability in the SADC region.
The commitment was expressed during the 25th Ordinary Meeting of the MCO held on 20-21 July 2023 in Windhoek, Republic of Namibia. The meeting was chaired by the Chairperson, Honourable Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of Namibia.
In her remarks, Hon. Nandi-Ndaitwah highlighted that in the past year, the Organ has made great strides towards strengthening peace, security and stability of the SADC Region.
Hon. Nandi-Ndaitwah hailed the outcomes of the 25th Ordinary meeting of the MCO as a positive step towards attaining sustainable peace, stability and security, which are critical ingredients for sustainable development of the SADC region.
“Our regional efforts towards regional integration have been strengthened and deepened considerably and this is, indeed, a moment which we all can be proud of”, Hon. Nandi-Ndaitwah said in her closing remarks.
The SADC Executive Secretary, His Excellency Mr. Elias M. Magosi said the region’s pursuit of a stable region is relentless, considering that the social and economic well-being of the people of the SADC region is premised on peace and security as the cornerstones of the SADC regional integration agenda.
H.E. Magosi highlighted that it was pleasing to note that, through the deliberate design of infrastructure for peace, and a robust early warning system, the security situation in the SADC region continues to be relatively stable, notwithstanding the overt security threats in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Cabo Delgado Province of the Republic of Mozambique, which appropriate SADC structures have remained seized with.
In line with Article 5 of the SADC Protocol of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, the MCO is composed of Ministers responsible for Foreign Affairs, Defence, Public Security and State Security from all SADC Member States and is mandated to coordinate the work and structures of the SADC Organ to promote and maintain peace and security in the Region.
During the two-day meeting, the MCO discussed and agreed on a wide range of peace, security and political issues, including the following;
The MCO urged Member States to deepen regional co-operation concerning political and security instability, counter-terrorism, transnational organised crime, disaster management, coastal and maritime security, energy and water security.
The MCO deliberated on the modalities for implementing the decision to deploy the SADC Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC) to address insecurity in the eastern part of the DRC. This follows the approval of the SAMIDRC deployment by the Extraordinary Summit of the SADC Organ Troika, Plus SADC Troika, and Force Intervention Brigade (FIB) and SADC Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) Personnel Contributing Countries held on 16 July 2023. In this regard, the MCO commended Member States that have pledged financial and material support towards the SAMIDRC deployment.
The MCO deliberated on how the extended mandate of the SADC Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM), from 16 July 2023, will be implemented to consolidate the gains made in combatting acts of terrorism and violent extremism in Cabo Delgado in northern Mozambique which have necessitated the revival of livelihoods and gradual return of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to their places of origin. On the same note, the MCO commended the SADC Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) for the unwavering commitment and sacrifices in preserving and upholding the peace and security of Mozambique. In the same vein, the MCO commended the SAMIM Personnel Contributing Countries and SADC Member States for their continued unwavering support towards SAMIM since its inception in July 2021.
In recognition that transnational organized crime represents a significant threat to peace, security, governance, social and economic development in the SADC Region, the MCO urged Member States to implement the SADC Integrated Strategy and Action Plan on Combating Transnational Organized Crime by developing national strategies and action plans which resonate with the Regional Strategy and Action Plan. Similarly, the MCO urged Member States to sign and ratify the SADC Protocol on the Control of Firearms, Ammunition and Other Related Materials if they have not yet done so.
The MCO underscored the importance of the facilitation of movement of people in the SADC Region as critical towards the realisation of an integrated region, and urged Member States that have not signed and ratified the Protocol on Facilitation of Movement of Persons in the SADC Region to expedite the process. Once the Protocol enters into force, it will further boost intra-regional tourism, and enable people-to-people exchange, business interactions and investment across the Region, amongst other benefits.
The MCO urged Member States that have not concluded bilateral Visa Exemption Agreements for SADC citizens to consider the principle of reciprocity as they finalise their negotiations for Visa exemptions.
The MCO noted the upcoming elections in the SADC region, specifically in the Republics of Zimbabwe, Madagascar, the Kingdom of Eswatini and the Democratic Republic of Congo where, under the leaders of the Chairperson of the Organ, the SADC Election Observation Mission (SEOM) will be deployed to observe these elections.
The MCO expressed gratitude to the Panel of Elders for their ongoing support to the comprehensive reforms process in the Kingdom of Lesotho.
The MCO approved the establishment and operationalization of the Network of Women Mediators in the Southern African Region to promote women’s leadership and participation in peace processes in Southern Africa as part of the SADC’s implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) on women and peace and security. This will reaffirms the important role of women in preventing and resolving conflicts, peace negotiations, peace-building, peacekeeping, humanitarian response and in post-conflict reconstruction.
The MCO approved the Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) Architecture for the Tourism UNIVISA; the Revenue Sharing Model for the UNIVISA; the Road Map for Implementation of the UNIVISA and the UNIVISA Draft Legal Instrument to be considered by the Ministers of Justice and Attorneys General. The Implementation of the tourism UNIVISA will facilitate movement of international tourists in the SADC region in order to increase the market share and revenue of the region in world tourism on the basis of arrangements negotiated and agreed upon by Member States.
In reflecting on the one-year tenure of Namibia as the Chair of the Organ, the MCO expressed gratitude to the Chairperson of the MCO, Hon. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, for her astute leadership and steadfast commitment in guiding the work of the MCO and expressed unwavering support to the Incoming Chair of the MCO, Hon. Stanley K. Kakubo, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of Zambia.
The MCO congratulated Professor Kula Ishmael Theletsane, a South African national, on his appointment as the Director of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Affairs at the SADC Secretariat and expressed its appreciation to Ms. Kealeboga Moruti for the able and dedicated manner in which she led the Directorate of the Organ in her capacity as the Acting Director.
The MCO expressed the Region’s sympathy and solidarity with the Republic of South Africa over an explosion that occurred in Johannesburg on 20 July 2023, which resulted in reported death and several injuries.
