The Extraordinary Summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Organ Troika Plus SADC Troika convened on March 23rd, 2024. Led by His Excellency Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, President of the Republic of Zambia and Chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security Cooperation, the summit drew together prominent leaders and representatives from across Southern Africa.
The summit attendees included heads of state and government, or their representatives, from Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, the Kingdom of Lesotho, Namibia, the United Republic of Tanzania, as well as ministers from Botswana and South Africa. The Executive Secretary of SADC was also in attendance, underlining the significance of the discussions held.
The summit commenced with expressions of condolence, acknowledging the recent losses suffered by Namibia, the United Republic of Tanzania, and South Africa. Tribute was paid to the late leaders, underscoring the spirit of solidarity within the SADC community.
Amidst commemorations of Southern Africa Liberation Day, President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço of Angola reaffirmed the region’s commitment to ideals of solidarity, self-determination, and regional cooperation.
Central to the summit’s agenda were updates on the peace and security situations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Mozambique. SADC reiterated its steadfast support for both governments in their efforts to achieve lasting peace and stability.
Acknowledging the dedicated service of troops in the SADC missions, the summit commended contributing countries for their commitment to preserving regional peace and security. It reiterated the collective commitment outlined in the SADC Mutual Defence Pact, emphasizing that an attack on one member state is considered a threat to regional stability.
The summit also reaffirmed support for ongoing political and diplomatic processes, including the Luanda and Nairobi processes, aimed at fostering reconciliation and peace in the region.
Expressing gratitude for solidarity from the African Union Commission and the United Nations Security Council, the summit highlighted the importance of diplomatic and military support in addressing conflicts. It pledged to intensify public diplomacy efforts to counter negative narratives surrounding SADC’s peace support missions.
However, the summit expressed disapproval of a correspondence from Rwanda to the United Nations and African Union Commission regarding support for the SADC mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
