Panafrican News Agency

SADC troika says region is relatively stable

Port-Louis, Mauritius (PANA) - The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Ministerial Committee said the general political and security situation in the SADC region remains relatively stable despite security and humanitarian challenges in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the pending conclusion of the electoral process in Madagascar.

The Ministerial Committee on politics, defence and security cooperation met in Windhoek, Namibia, Sunday to consider the political and security situation in the region, including the review of the post-electoral political situation in Madagascar.

It was chaired by Namibian Foreign Affairs Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwa.

In a communiqué issued after the meeting, a copy of which was obtained by PANA, the committee noted the positive developments regarding the security situation in Eastern DRC, particularly “the successful defeat of the M23 rebels from Eastern DRC in October 2013 by the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC), supported by the Intervention Brigade under the auspices of MONUSCO”.

However, It observed that the humanitarian situation in Eastern DRC is still a source of concern to the region and the international community.

The committee commended the people of Madagascar for the peaceful manner in which they conducted the electoral process and urged the international community to lift the sanctions against the country and to consider convening a pledging conference to assist Madagascar in the mobilization of the necessary resources for the reconstruction phase.
-0- PANA NA/VAO 30Dec2013