By Rose Cross Mahorya in Lusaka, Zambia
Lusaka, March 23, Mana: President Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia and Chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, has asked regional blocks world over to unite and deal with security crises together for continued world peace.
Speaking when he opened a meeting on SADC countries contributing missions to Mozambique and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) under the Extraordinary SADC Organ Troika Summit at Mulungushi Convention Centre in Lusaka on Saturday, Hichilema said even though the blocks are in different regions, challenges on conflict affect the nations equally.
President Dr Lazarus Chakwera attended the meeting.
“We may be working in different regions, but our challenges on conflicts are the same; we must work together to defeat conflicts and unrest in the world.
“We must look at challenges faced by one nation and block as for us all and together we must unite to defeat conflicts in our respective regions,” he said.
SADC Executive Secretary, Ellias Magosi, appealed for more humanitarian support to conflicting regions particularly in eastern DRC disclosing that in his recent visit to the region, he witnessed women and children needing support.
“While we are forever grateful to countries contributing their missions to various conflicting site in our region, I am specifically appealing that we also scale up on humanitarian aid going to civilians in these conflict zones.
“In my recent visit to the conflict zone in eastern DRC, I saw many people, most of them women and children in dire need of more support; we need to balance all interventions by sending both military support and humanitarian support,” he said.
The meeting was concluded with Magosi delivering a communique on some of the issues the states deliberated on.
Aside Chakwera, other heads of state present at the meeting were: Joao Lourenco of the Republic of Angola who is also SADC Chairperson, Felipe Nyusi of Mozambique, Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe, Felix Tshisekedi of DRC.
Meanwhile, President Chakwera has departed for Lilongwe.
