The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is meeting this Tuesday, 31 January in the Namibian capital, Windhoek, to discuss the political and security situation in Essuatíni, Mozambique and other parts of the region.
A statement issued by Namibia’s Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation said that President Hage Geingob will preside today over the extraordinary summit of the SADC Organ on Political, Defence and Security Cooperation to “discuss the political and security situation in the region.”
Hage Geingob is the current chairman of that Community body, responsible for promoting peace and security in the 16-member bloc. The other two members are Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
On the agenda for the extraordinary summit is an update on the work of the SADC Military Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM, the regional force deployed in July 2021 to help the country fight the insurgency linked to Islamic State), political tensions in Essuatíni, and instability in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The summit will take place against the backdrop of calls from SADC and other organizations for a thorough investigation into the January 21 assassination of Essuatíni activist Thulani Maseko, an advocate for the implementation of democracy in that country, and where hundreds of pro-democracy activists have been demanding political reforms.
Prior to today’s meeting, a meeting of the Ministerial Committee of the Organ on Political Cooperation, Defense and Security was held yesterday, Monday.
