ANTANANARIVO, Aug 17 (NNN-DAILYNEWS) — Tanzania has been commended for its good performance in handling security challenges in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states, after being the Chair of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security for a one-year period.
The commendations were given during the meeting of the Committee of Ministers of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security taking place in Madagascar under the chairmanship of Tanzania’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Ambassador Mahmoud Thabit Kombo.
Giving his opening remarks Kombo said that under his chairmanship of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security, Tanzania led joint efforts to seek solutions to regional conflicts, strengthen democratic governance, and enhance guidelines for protecting peace.
During the one-year period, Tanzania convened five emergency summits of Heads of State and Government of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security intending to discuss and address emerging security challenges in the region.
He added that during that period, Tanzania also led SADC observer teams to elections in countries such as Namibia, Mozambique, Mauritius, and Botswana which were led by prominent individuals such as former President of Zanzibar, Amani Abeid Karume and former Prime Minister, Mizengo Pinda to ensure that fair, free, and transparent elections were conducted in those countries.
“Efforts to seek peace were made through different means, including diplomatic efforts or deployment of peacekeeping forces, particularly in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the holding of a joint summit of EAC and SADC Heads of State and the deployment of peacekeeping forces in eastern DRC and later their withdrawal demonstrates how SADC countries have come together to seek solutions to their conflict,” he stated.
However, he ceased the opportunity and warned on new emerging threats globally, such as terrorism, cybercrime, cross-border crime, and disasters caused by climate change, saying the challenges require collective efforts and modern strategies to address them, otherwise their impact will be significant in the region.
The meeting was attended by various delegates, including the Zambian Minister of Foreign Affairs and the outgoing Chairperson, Mulambo Haimbe; the Malawian Minister of Foreign Affairs and the incoming Chairperson, Nancy Tembo; and the SADC Executive Secretary, Elias Magosi who will present a report on the implementation of peace, defence, and security issues, and delegates will have an opportunity to discuss it. — NNN-DAILYNEWS
