By Ncaba Ntshakala
Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla has departed for Zimbabwe to represent His Majesty King Mswati III and the Kingdom of Eswatini at the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Extraordinary Summit.
The high-level meeting, chaired by Zimbabwean President and SADC Chairperson Emmerson Mnangagwa, is set to address the escalating security crisis in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Accompanying the Deputy Prime Minister is the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Pholile Shakantu.
RELATED: Eswatini, SADC States prioritize peace, security, and democratic progress
The summit, which will be held in Harare, follows a surge in violent attacks against peacekeeping forces in the DRC, resulting in the deaths of at least 13 soldiers and the displacement of more than 400,000 people since the beginning of the year.
The humanitarian situation in the region has worsened as fighting between the Congolese army and armed groups intensifies, despite the presence of United Nations and SADC peacekeeping missions.
Ahead of the summit, SADC Chairperson Mnangagwa strongly condemned the attacks and pledged that the regional bloc would take decisive measures to address the deteriorating security conditions.
“SADC will not tolerate these acts of violence against peacekeeping forces and innocent civilians.
The region stands in solidarity with the people of the DRC, and we will take appropriate action to restore peace and stability,” Mnangagwa stated.
The extraordinary summit will bring together leaders from the 16 SADC member states, which include Eswatini, Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and the DRC itself.
The meeting will be preceded by sessions of the SADC Standing Committee of Senior Officials and the SADC Council of Ministers, where key recommendations and policy directions will be discussed before being presented to the heads of state and government.
RELATED: SADC urges all registered voters to participate on September 29
The crisis in the DRC has been a long-standing concern for SADC, leading to the deployment of a regional peacekeeping force to help stabilize the conflict-ridden eastern provinces.
In November 2024, SADC extended the mandate of its peacekeeping mission in the country by another year, citing continued threats posed by armed rebel groups.
However, the latest wave of violence has raised fresh concerns about the effectiveness of current interventions and the need for a stronger regional response
