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The 26th Meeting of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Ministerial Committee of the Organ (MCO) on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation was held on 11-12 July 2024 at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka, Republic of Zambia.

Mulambo Haimbe, SC, M.P, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of Zambia, chaired the meeting in his capacity as the Chairperson of the MCO.

Haimbe, highlighted that, while the SADC region continues to enjoy relative peace and tranquillity, terrorism and other transnational organised crimes continue to be of great concern.

Haimbe called on SADC Member States to continue to cooperate and undertake joint initiatives to address these threats.

Regarding the security situation in Cabo Delgado Province in northern Mozambique, the Chairperson of the MCO commended SADC Member States for the great strides made in restoring peace and security in that country.

Haimbe expressed the region’s collective resolve that, even with the withdrawal of the SADC Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM), the region will continue to work with the Republic of Mozambique to fight terrorism and protect all Member States from acts of terrorism and violent extremism.

In this regard, the Chairperson of MCO expressed confidence that the exit of SAMIM will not lead to a security vacuum that may lead to the reversal of the gains made by the deployment of SAMIM.

The Executive Secretary of SADC, His Excellency Mr. Elias M. Magosi, highlighted that peace and stability is at the heart of the SADC integration and development agenda and that SADC has established fundamental structures and adopted clear guiding legal instruments and mechanisms to ensure sustainable peace and security, as well as the consolidation of democracy.