Staff Reporter
MEMBER States of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have reaffirmed their commitment to promoting peace, security, and stability in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
This was among the key decisions made during the 45th Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government, held recently in Antananarivo, Madagascar. The Summit, convened under the theme “Advancing Industrialisation, Agricultural Transformation, and Energy,” addressed pressing regional and international issues.
“The Summit reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to promoting peace, security, and stability in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, and welcomed the joint mediation efforts undertaken by the African Union Commission (AUC), SADC, and the East African Community (EAC), as well as the process integrating the Luanda and Nairobi Peace Processes. It also acknowledged the urgent need for complementarity and harmonisation between Africa-led processes and other initiatives, including the Washington Accord 2025 and the Doha Declaration of Principles of 2025,” SADC stated.
The Summit condemned the spread of misinformation regarding the deployment of the SADC Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC), reiterating that the mission was carried out in full compliance with regional and international principles. Its primary objective, SADC emphasised, is to support Member States in responding to external aggression.
In addition to the DRC, the Summit reaffirmed SADC’s support for the people of Western Sahara in their struggle for self-determination. It welcomed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between SADC and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) in April.
“Summit affirmed the complementary nature of the United Nations-led process regarding the self-determination of Western Sahara and emphasised the importance of alignment between the implementation of the SADC-SADR MoU, the UN-led process, and all other efforts undertaken by the African Union,” SADC explained.
Furthermore, SADC Member States expressed deep concern over the ongoing violence against civilians in Gaza. They called for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and the initiation of dialogue aimed at achieving a lasting resolution to the conflict.
