Mozambique unrest: SADC tasks security arm to safeguard regional trade routes

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has directed its security committee to find ways to protect regional trade routes and energy corridors impacted by ongoing unrest in Mozambique.

The protests that started after disputed October elections have left hundreds dead and disrupted key trade routes and energy exports to neighbouring countries. On Sunday, regional leaders held an Extraordinary Summit of the Organ Troika to discuss the post-election violence in Mozambique.

“The Summit directed the Inter-state Defence and Security Committee to propose measures to protect the regional trade routes, humanitarian corridors, and energy supplies while finding solutions to the political and security challenges in the Republic of Mozambique,” SADC said after the meeting.

In December, businesses in Mozambique met President Filipe Nyusi and asked for escorts to protect trade routes, including the Beira corridor to Zimbabwe. In November, SA temporarily closed the Lebombo port of entry, its main border crossing with Mozambique. The Road Freight Association said the disruptions at the ports of entry cost South Africa R10 million a day.

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan chaired Sunday’s virtual meeting, also attended by Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema and Malawi’s Lazarus Chakwera, the other troika members. Nyusi and SADC executive secretary Elias Magosi also attended.

At the meeting, Hichilema said the conflict “is not only affecting the people of Mozambique but also hindering regional trade in critical sectors like energy and transport.”

Opposition candidate Venancio Mondlane disputes the election, in which ruling FRELIMO was declared the winner. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) says more than 2,000 people have fled Mozambique into neighbouring Malawi while another 1,000 have fled to Eswatini.

Mondlane, who has been directing the protests from Europe via Facebook, has vowed to return to the country on Thursday. He says he will be inaugurated on January 15 as the country’s “legitimate leader”. However, divisions have emerged between Mondlane and PODEMO, the party that backed him, over whether opposition MPs should take up their seats in Parliament.