Leaders of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) on Saturday reaffirmed their commitment to providing both diplomatic and military support to find lasting solutions to the conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Mozambique.
In a communiqué released after an extraordinary SADC double troika summit held in Lusaka, the Zambian capital, the leaders also pledged to intensify public diplomacy on the role and successes of SADC peace support missions in the two countries to avoid negative narratives that may compromise the success of the missions.
According to the communiqué, the summit reiterated the regional commitment in the SADC mutual defense pact that "an armed attack against one shall be deemed a threat to regional peace and security."
"The summit received updates on the peace and security situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Mozambique and reiterated SADC's support to the two governments towards attaining lasting peace, stability and security," the communiqué says.
The summit also commended troop-contributing countries and expressed appreciation to the deployed troops for their dedicated service towards preserving peace and security in the region.
The summit was convened by Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, who is the chairperson for the SADC Organ on Politics, Defense and Security Cooperation.
