SADC – “Region relatively stable”

In an official communiqué issued after the recent meeting in Windhoek of the Ministerial Committee Organ on politics, defence and security, of the Southern African Development Community(SADC), the Committee described the security situation in the region as stable.
The Ministerial Committee Organ announced it is keeping tabs on the peace situation in Madagascar which recently had fresh presidential elections as well as monitoring the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) situation where that country’s government had been battling insurgents steered by the M23 Rebels.
The MCO of SADC on politics, defence and security met in December and was chaired by the Namibian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon Netumbo Nandi-Ndeitwah.  Other dignitaries present included the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lesotho Mohlabi Kenneth, Tanzania’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Dr Mahadhi J Maalim, Chairperson of the SADC Council of Ministers Ephraim Mganda Chiume as well as the Malawian Minister of Foreign Affairs and the SADC Mediator on Madagascar, President of Mozambique, Joaquim Chissano.

The meeting concluded that the general political and security situation in the SADC region remains relatively stable amid some concerns raised on the humanitarian situation in the eastern DRC.
However it was also noted that there are some positive developments in the DRC situation. The surge of the M23 Rebels that had hampered this region for a long period finally ended with their defeat in October 2013 by the armed forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo supported by the Intervention Brigade under the auspices of MONUSCO.
The government of the DRC enforced the peace process by signing official declarations on the eleven points of the Kampala Dialogue, which is based on the year-long talks between the DRC government and M23 in Nairobi, Kenya in 2013.
The MCO also commended the peaceful manner the people of Madagascar conducted their elections and urged the international community to rally behind them towards the development process. The MCO also commended the actions and devotion shown by the presidential and legislative candidates for the smooth conduct of the election. The MCO also commended the work of the SADC mediator on Madagascar, H.E. Joaquim Chissano as they noted he worked tirelessly to ensure the smooth running of the electoral process.
Although they commended most of the stakeholders for ensuring a peaceful election    process, they noted that for the successful completion of the electoral process in Madagascar, certain sanctions have to be lifted against the country and also encourage the African Union and international community to assist in doing so.
The Government of Madagascar was assured that the SADC community stands ready to aid them with any reconciliation, re-building and also relaunching the development process.
The MCO then thanked the Government of Namibia and hope to monitor both the political and security situation in the region, including the situation in the DRC as well as the post-electoral situation in Madagascar.