DAR ES SALAAM — Conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the political crises in Madagascar and Zimbabwe will top the agenda of a summit of southern African countries in Tanzania today, officials said yesterday. Report by AFP/SAnews.gov.za
In addition to host Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania, the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) summit will be attended by South African President Jacob Zuma and his Namibian counterpart Hifikepunye Pohamba, the other two nations in the Sadc Troika handling regional security issues.
President Armando Guebuza of Mozambique will also attend, according to Aly Kombo, spokesman for the Tanzanian Foreign Affairs ministry.
“They’ll examine the situation in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar and Zimbabwe,” he said, adding that a preparatory meeting at ministerial level was due to take place yesterday.
The DRC army last year faced an offensive launched in the east of the country by the M23 rebel movement that in November took the key town of Goma.
The rebels finally pulled out of Goma on December 1 with the promise of negotiations with the DRC government.
Regional countries from the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) have been trying since July to set up a neutral international force to neutralise the numerous militia groups that prey on civilians in eastern DRC. The 15-nation Sadc, at its last summit here in December, said it would activate its regional standby force in order to deploy it in the framework of the neutral force.
Tanzania said it would send a battalion and command the force.
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The DRC and the United Nations both accuse Rwanda and Uganda of providing military assistance to the M23. Kigali and Kampala, both ICGLR members, deny the accusations.
President Robert Mugabe has been threatening to hold elections in March with or without a new constitution, but Sadc is insisting on reforms before the polls.
According to the South African government website, Zuma, who is the Sadc-appointed mediator in the Zimbabwe crisis, will be supported International Relations and Co-operation minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane.
“South Africa has a vested interest in seeing the regional political and security situation improve, which will create positive conditions for the improvement of the quality of life of South Africans and Sadc citizens in general,” the South African Department of International Relations and Co-operation said.
