Leaders across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) gathered virtually for an Extraordinary Summit to address pressing regional security challenges and elect a new chairperson for the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security Co-operation.
The meeting comes just two months after South Africa (SA) hosted the 46th Ordinary SADC Summit in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, highlighting growing urgency among regional heads of state to tackle ongoing instability.
Opening the session, SADC Chairperson and SA President Cyril Ramaphosa drew sharp attention to the humanitarian toll of regional instability, noting that according to him, the situation in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is far from over and remains a matter of serious concern, particularly regarding the continuing humanitarian suffering and displacement of civilians.
Ramaphosa added that according to regional assessments, while the threat of terrorism and violent extremism in parts of the region like Northern Mozambique is being addressed more effectively now, it still requires sustained vigilance and cooperation.
The summit highlights SADC’s push to shore up security co-operation and ensure a co-ordinated regional approach to protecting displaced populations and stabilising persistent conflict zones.
–ChannelAfrica–
