Lesotho elected chair of SADC organ on politics, defense

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Virtual Extraordinary Summit of the Heads of State and Government has elected Lesotho as the incoming chairperson of its Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation.

SADC Chairperson President Cyril Ramaphosa emphasised that the work of the security organ remains indispensable for economic development and regional integration.

“We are confident that Lesotho will make a valuable contribution to advancing the work of the organ and strengthening the foundations of peace and security in Southern Africa. And we must, thank the Democratic Republic of Angola for having been magnanimous in enabling us to reach this conclusion. Our deliberations today have once again demonstrated the value of regional solidarity and collective leadership.”

Convened outside the regular annual schedule, Ramaphosa stressed the importance of finding solutions to the ongoing conflicts in the region, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Mozambique.

“The situation in the Eastern DRC is far from over and it remains a matter of serious concern, particularly the continuing humanitarian suffering as well as the displacement of civilians. The threat of terrorism and violence, extremism in parts of our region including Northern Mozambique, much as it is being addressed more effectively now, requires sustained vigilance and cooperation.”

Ramaphosa also addressed the pressing climate crisis.

“Climate-related disasters are no longer occasional disruptions to our development. They are becoming a persistent threat to our economic and social progress. They place immense pressure on national budgets, destroy productive assets, and force governments to divert resources from development towards emerging relief and reconstruction. We must therefore strengthen regional early warning systems, improve disaster preparedness, invest in climate resilient infrastructure, and enhance our collective capacity to respond to emergencies.”