Staff Reporter
“NAMIBIA will stand united with all SADC countries against terrorism, because without peace there is no development.”
This was the message of the Vice-president, Dr Nangolo Mbumba, at the extraordinary meeting of the Troika on Security and Defence of which Namibia is the incoming chairman, South Africa the chairman and Botswana the outgoing chairman.
Vice-president Mbumba was delegated by President Hage Geingob to lead a Namibian delegation, consisting of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Minister of Defence Frans Kapofi and Minister of Finance Ipumpu Shiimi, to the extraordinary Troika and SADC meeting in Malawi, mainly discussing the security situation in northern Mozambique.
Hundreds were killed and thousands displaced before a SADC force started taking control of the area with scores of Mozambique civilians starting to return to their homes from where they were driven by violence.
The Namibian delegation at the Troika under the chairmanship of the South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa, reaffirmed its commitment of peace and security of the region and the African continent as was demonstrated by Namibia since Independence.
Mbumba, in his report back to President Geingob and Namibians, said the extraordinary meeting of SADC as a whole that was chaired by President Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi, mainly dealt with Mozambique.
“We really spent most of the time on the issue of the attack on civilians by those we all consider as terrorists in the Northern province of Cabo Delgado.
“SADC has a policy that in principle says an attack on one of our members, is an attack on all of us and we will form a united force against such threats,” Mbumba warned.
“You can’t maintain peace and without peace, there is no development. That was the main topic,” he explained.
Mbumba stressed that in the fight various strategies and assistance are deployed in a coordinated manner, because peace is foremost and development follows peace always.
“Some committed resources, others deployed personnel and we are coordinating on that. I was asked, comrade president, as we were leaving Kamuzu airport in Malawi if Namibia committed troops but we are saying there are many other ways of assisting and supporting Mozambique. We have not committed the troops but we are part of SADC and we will continue to support the policy of SADC and initiate other measures to help Mozambique.
“We are looking at appeals for food and other items that are needed and we also look at future cooperation on policing and correctional services, but for now, we have extended the mandate of the soldiers from SADC countries who are in Mozambique supporting the Mozambique Defence Force and the Presidents who were there.
“President Filipe Nyusi of Mozambique is really appreciative of the effort by other SADC countries to help the victims and also the SADC will to help each other,” Mbumba reiterated.
