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Patrick Chitumba in Victoria Falls
THE Southern African Development Committee will not hesitate to use force against any armed rebellion bent on destabilising any of its member states, the director of the bloc’s Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Affairs, Retired Lieutenant Colonel Tanki Mothae, said yesterday.
In an interview, Rtd Lieut Col Mothae said Sadc owes it to the pioneers of the liberation struggles in the region to maintain peace, stability and security for prosperity.
“Sadc troops are there and will always be ready to support UN peace missions like what we did in the Democratic Republic of Congo to ensure that there is peace,” he said.
“We are obliged to assist any member of Sadc to remain peaceful through our protocol and mutual defence pact and we will use force to disengage any insurgencies.”
Rtd Lieut Col Mothae said the UN Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the DRC (Monusco) gave the intervention brigade through resolution 2098, the green light to use force in its mission.
“That was the first resolution passed by the UN allowing a peace keeping mission to be on the offensive and deal with eventualities that threaten the people in the peace- keeping mission,” he said.
“I want to mention; this is one of the first ever UN resolutions that allowed a peace- keeping mission to have an offensive in the history of the UN. As a result Sadc was willing to contribute and we will continue to contribute to the peace of the DRC and any of our member states.”
Rtd Lieut Col Mothae said Sadc was there and would be ready to support UN peacekeeping efforts.
“Sadc is a guarantor of peace and security in the region. Because of the treaty protocol and mutual defence pact we will assist any of our members to remain peaceful,” he said.
“You know stability has its own challenges and opportunities. When stable everybody wants to test your stability and Sadc will endeavour to make sure that there is stability in the region.”
Meanwhile, Rtd Lieut Col Mothae said the first meeting of the Sadc Troika was going to take place today.
“The first meeting of the organ on Troika is on today and will see Namibian President Hefikepunye Pohamba presenting his report to the Regional Heads. Details of what has been happening since he took over from Tanzania in August last year will be the major focus of his report,” he said.
Meanwhile, Swaziland Prime Minister Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini has arrived in the resort town for the summit.
derick.khumalo