SADC holds Extraordinary Summit in Maputo
Maputo, Mozambique (PANA) – Leaders of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) are on Wednesday meeting in the Mozambican capital, Maputo, to discuss issues of regional integration, cooperation and development.
Mozambique President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi is chairing the Extraordinary Summit in his capacity as current Chairperson of the Community which at the same time celebrates its 40th anniversary.
The Summit of Heads of State and Government is the supreme policy-making institution of the 16-nation regional grouping with the responsibility for the overall policy direction and control of functions of the community in accordance with the SADC Treaty.
The grouping comprises Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Mozambique and several SADC Member States have declared days of national mourning in honour of the late first President of Zambia, Dr Kenneth Kaunda, who played a pivotal role in the formation of the Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC), the forerunner to SADC.
In this regard, the SADC flag, and those of SADC Member States are being flown at half-mast during the Extraordinary Summit.
Among key issues, the one-day summit is discussing the regional response and support to Mozambique in addressing terrorism, regional food and nutrition security, gender and development, and progress in the regional response to HIV and AIDS and COVID-19 pandemic.
According to details provided by the SADC Secretariat, the Summit will also review progress made in the implementation of the theme of the 40th SADC Summit: SADC: 40 Years Building Peace and Security, and Promoting Development and Resilience in the Face of Global Challenges, which was endorsed by the Summit in August, 2020.
The Summit will also mark the regional commemoration of the 40th Anniversary of SADC with the launch of three publications by President Nyusi. The publications are: 40 Years of SADC: Enhancing Regional Cooperation and Integration; Volume 2 of Mozambique SADC Success Stories; and the Hashim Mbita (Southern African Liberation Struggles).
The late Mbita of Tanzania was the Executive Secretary of the Liberation Committee of the then Organisation of African Unity (OAU) which coordinated military and civilian struggles for the freedom of countries under minority rule and the Apartheid regime in Southern Africa.
-0- PANA AR/MA 23June2021
