Southern African leaders deploy mission to Mozambique

JOHANNESBURG

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Thursday deployed a mission to Mozambique, reaffirming commitment to bring lasting peace and security in the East African country, which is currently fighting terrorists.

The regional block of 16 countries held its Double Troika Summit in the Mozambique’s capital Maputo to end terrorism which has wreaked havoc in the country’s northern province of Cabo Delgado.

An armed militant group believed to be affiliated with the Daesh/ISIS terrorist group attacked the coastal town of Palma in Cabo Delgado province near the border with Tanzania late March, killing dozens and injuring scores of others. About 11,000 people were displaced as a result of the attack.

“The Double Troika Summit noted with concern, the acts of terrorism perpetrated against innocent civilians, women and children in some of the districts of Cabo Delgado Province of the Republic of Mozambique; condemned the terrorist attacks in strongest terms; and affirmed that such heinous attacks cannot be allowed to continue without a proportionate regional response,” the regional body said in a communique at the end of its meeting.

The Double Troika Summit directed immediate deployment of SADC’s technical mission to Mozambique which will report back on its findings to heads of state by April 29 when another meeting is scheduled.

Those who attended the summit included Mozambique’s President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi, Malawi President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, and Hussein Ali Mwinyi, President of the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, representing Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan.

The summit also paid tribute to the late Tanzanian President John Pombe Joseph Magufuli, who was the outgoing chairperson of SADC, by observing a minute of silence.