Luanda – Delegations from the General Staff of the Angolan and South African Armed Forces on Monday in Luanda discussed issues linked to cooperation in the areas of military industry, health and English language training.
The strengthening of collective defence mechanisms, peace missions and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Standby Force were also on the agenda of the meeting, at which the Angolan delegation was headed by the Chief of General Staff of the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA), Egídio de Sousa e Santos.
The South African delegation was led by the head of the National Defence Forces, Rudzani Maphwanya, who is on a working visit to the country, from 22 to 28 of this month, as part of the strengthening of bilateral cooperation.
Speaking at the event, Army General Egídio de Sousa e Santos emphasised the brotherhood and cooperation ties existing in various areas, and highlighted the political, diplomatic and military concertation between the two countries, as it ensures cohesion to collectively face the threats of terrorism that plague the region.
“The SADC has been able to read the signals in order to act proactively and thus South Africa, as president of the Organ of Cooperation in the Areas of Politics, Defence and Security, has spared no effort in responding to the changes in the geopolitical environment in the southern region,” he stressed.
Egídio de Sousa e Santos recalled that on the 28th of this month an Extraordinary Summit of the African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government will be held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, on Terrorism and Unconstitutional Changes of Government in Africa, under Angola’s proposal.
For his part, the head of the South African National Defence Forces said that his visit aimed to strengthen bilateral cooperation and considered it essential to draw up a balance sheet of the activities carried out between the two countries, which have been cooperating since 1998.
Source: Angola Press News Agency