TUESDAY 5 OCTOBER 2021
Your Excellency, Honourable Dr Hage Geingob, President of the Republic of Namibia, and Incoming Chair of the Organ
Your Excellency, Honourable Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi, President of the Republic of Botswana, and Outgoing Chair of the Organ
Your Excellency, Honourable Mr Filipe Nyusi, President of the Republic of Mozambique
Honourable Ministers and Deputy Ministers
Ambassadors and High Commissioners
Your Excellency, Mr Elias Magosi Executive Secretary of SADC
Seniors Officials
Members of the Press
Ladies and Gentlemen
It is my singular honour to welcome you to this very important meeting of the Extraordinary Organ Troika Summit, held together with Personnel Contributing Countries Plus the Republic of Mozambique.
Firstly, I would like to congratulate the new SADC Executive Secretary, His Excellency Mr Elias Magosi on his appointment. South Africa stands ready to provide you with all the necessary support for the successful execution of your mandate.
Your Excellencies
I wish to convey my appreciation to the Outgoing Chair, President Mokgweetsi Masisi of the Republic of Botswana, for his able leadership of the Organ in the past year. We welcome the election of the President of the Republic of Namibia, Dr Hage Geingob, as Incoming Chair of the Organ. I am equally appreciative of his support and cooperation. I have already experienced support and collaboration from members of the Organ Troika since assuming the Chairship.
Your Excellences
While the political and the security situation in the SADC region is relatively peaceful and stable, the region has and continues to experience its share of peace and security challenges. Therefore, the work of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security whose key objective is to promote peace and security within the region is vital.
This Organ Troika Summit has convened to review the operations of the SADC Mission in our sister country of Mozambique, which has been experiencing security challenges, that have the potential to threaten the stability of the region.
The SADC Extraordinary Summit held on the 23rd of June 2021 in Maputo, approved the deployment of the SADC Standby Force Rapid Deployment Capability (RDC) Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM), from 15 July 2021, with a mandate to combat acts of terrorism and violent extremism in the Cabo Delgado Province.
This deployment was approved for an initial period of three months, subject to extension for further periods depending on the evolution of the operational situation on the ground. The SAMIM deployment was to be preceded by the deployment of the Regional Coordination Mechanism.
The mandate of SADC Mission is due to expire on 15 October 2021. This Summit will therefore receive a report and assessment of the Regional Coordination Mechanism as well as recommendations on the way forward for this important Mission.
At this time, I wish to take this opportunity to thank His Excellency, Mr Filipe Nyusi, President of the Republic of Mozambique, for inviting SADC to come and support the quest for restoration of peace and stability in his great country.
We will also receive a report from the Republic of Mozambique on their own analysis and a report on the contribution of SAMIM with emphasis on progress, challenges and a way forward
As we deal with the security situation in support of our sister country, the Republic of Mozambique, we are confident that, like in other SADC undertakings, security and stability in Mozambique will be restored. The commitment, solidarity collective sense of community of members of the SADC were splendidly displayed by the generous support of member countries that contributed Personnel to the SADC Rapid Force.
I look forward to our deliberations on the important agenda before us.
With those few words, I would like to declare the meeting open.
Thank you.