SADC meets in Dar on regional peace talks
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The meeting among others will also review progress and consider the SADC common position on the implementation of the African Union draft protocol on the free movement of persons and the community’s standby force command.
Dar es Salaam. Twenty Ministers from Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states have today started a two-day 19th meeting of Ministerial Committee of the Organ (MCO) to discuss the peace and security of the region.
The meeting among others will also review progress and consider the SADC common position on the implementation of the African Union draft protocol on the free movement of persons and the community’s standby force command.
The delegates are Ministers of Foreign affairs, Home affairs and Heads of peace and security organs from SADC member states.
Addressing the delegates Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation who is also a SADC chairperson of the politics, defense and security cooperation organ Dr Augustine Mahiga said, the organ has managed to maintain peace and security in the region despite political unrest in some parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
“We are still working on the situation in the DRC to ensure peace is restored across the country,” he said. He added that they received two requests from governments of Burundi and Comoro asking to join the community.
“So far, only Comoro has qualified for the entry, we shall take their request to the heads of state summit slated for next month in Pretoria, South Africa,” he said adding that they will hold further discussion on issues that disqualified Burundi and suggest the way forward.
