Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania, has arrived at the Robert Gabriel International Airport for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government to be held today in Harare.

Dr Hassan is the Chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation.

She was welcomed by the Attorney General Virginia Mabhiza.

The regional leaders are expected to look at the role of the SADC intervention force in the region.

Thirteen South African soldiers have been killed in the past week in the DRC.

Zimbabwe’s president Emmerson Mnangagwa, the current chair of SADC, will chair the summit despite being on his annual leave, foreign minister Prof Amon Murwira said.

“There are negative developments in the east of the DRC, a lot of violence and conflict,” Murwira said.

“The extraordinary summit is for heads of state and government to debate and make decisions on the peace efforts for the eastern DRC. The mission is to restore peace to the east of the DRC.”

Zwnews