Durban: The Southern African Development Community (SADC) welcomed Angola on Monday for hosting the Extraordinary Conference of the African Union on Strengthening Conflict Prevention and Resolution Mechanisms in Africa, scheduled for August 29 and 30. The statement is included in the final communiqu© of the 46th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of SADC, held in Durban, South Africa, under the chairmanship of the South African Head of State, Cyril Ramaphosa.
According to Angola Press News Agency, the President of the Republic, Joo Louren§o, was represented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, T©te Ant³nio. The Summit welcomed Angola's invitation to the Heads of State and Government of SADC to participate in the continental meeting, dedicated to strengthening conflict prevention and resolution mechanisms in Africa. This initiative is part of African efforts to consolidate peace, security and stability on the continent by strengthening mechanisms for conflict prevention, management and resolution.
At the same meeting, SADC reaffirmed its solidarity with the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo and its support for regional and international efforts aimed at restoring peace and security, protecting the civilian population, and strengthening the humanitarian response. The organization also welcomed the holding of a constructive dialogue in Madagascar, with the support of the Panel of Elders, the Reference Group for Mediation, and the SADC Secretariat, and reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the country's reform process and development agenda.
The Summit urged stakeholders in Madagascar to preserve the relative calm prevailing in the country and to foster dialogue for the resolution of differences. Regarding Mozambique, the Heads of State and Government welcomed the holding of the inclusive national dialogue and the efforts in combating terrorism and maintaining peace and security in some districts of Cabo Delgado province. The Summit also congratulated Mozambican President Daniel Francisco Chapo on the inauguration, in June of this year in Maputo, of the SADC Regional Fisheries Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Coordination Centre, with a mandate to combat illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing.
Internationally, the organization congratulated Zimbabwe on its election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2027-2028 term and expressed confidence in the country's ability to promote multilateral cooperation and defend international peace and security. SADC reiterated its call for the lifting of sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe, considering that they continue to limit the country's full economic potential.
The meeting also analyzed the evolution of the global geopolitical and economic landscape and called on member states to seize emerging opportunities to deepen regional integration, strengthen trade and investment, mobilize domestic resources, and strengthen collective resilience. In the field of public health, regional leaders called for strengthened surveillance and preparedness for diseases, with a view to preventing, detecting, and responding to outbreaks and pandemics, through the timely sharing of information and coordinated actions.
In this perspective, it welcomed Angola, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, as well as the Africa CDC, the World Health Organization, and other partners, for the financial and technical support given to the response to the Ebola outbreak. The organization also noted regional efforts to control and prevent Foot-and-Mouth Disease and designated the Botswana Vaccine Institute as a Regional Antigen/Vaccine Bank against the disease.
