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International

SADC Panel of Elders to tackle Mozambique crisis

2025-01-132025-01-13By Correspondent
SADC Panel of Elders to tackle Mozambique crisis

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has deployed its Panel of Elders to address the worsening political and security crisis in Mozambique following post-election unrest.

Violence erupted following Mozambique’s October 2024 elections, with protests intensifying after the Constitutional Council confirmed the results of the election in December.

A media statement on Wednesday said the decision to deploy the Panel of Elders was reached during the Extraordinary Organ Troika Summit held virtually on 5 January 2025. 

The summit expressed concern over the socio-economic effects of the crisis and its disruption to regional supply chains.

The SADC Panel of Elders forms part of the SADC Mediation and Conflict Prevention and Preventative Diplomacy structure and comprises former Heads of State and former government ministers who were appointed for their demonstrable political and technical expertise in conflict resolution, preventative diplomacy and mediation.

The panel, supported by the Ministerial Committee of the Organ (MCO) Troika Member States – Malawi, Zambia and Tanzania – and the SADC Secretariat.

It is expected to report its findings and recommendations to the chairperson of the SADC Organ by 15 January 2025.

“We cannot afford to ignore the situation in Mozambique as it directly impacts the socio-economic fabric of the entire SADC region,” Tanzania’s president Samia Suluhu Hassan, chairperson of the SADC Organ, said in the statement. The summit also tasked the Inter-state Defence and Security Committee with developing measures to secure regional trade routes, humanitarian corridors, and energy supplies while addressing Mozambique’s political and security challenges.

Outgoing chairperson of the Organ, Zambian president Hakainde Hichilema, remarked: “The crisis in Mozambique is not just about one country; it affects us all. Disruptions in energy and transportation sectors are felt across the region. SADC must take collective action to restore peace and stability”.

SADC executive secretary Elias Magosi reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to Mozambique, stating, “Our solidarity with the people of Mozambique is unwavering. Through unity and cooperation, we aim to help them return to a life of peace and prosperity”.

 –Nampa