Southern African Development Community (SADC) senior representatives met in Maputo late last month (August) to review the bloc’s peacekeeping mission in Mozambique with a view to better manage conflict and build peace.
The two-day conference was convened by the SADC Secretariat in partnership with the Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. A statement has it the gathering was not named going only by its theme – Lessons Learnt for the Future: Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding in the SADC Region, a case study of the SADC Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM).
“The main objective of the conference was to assess the state of peacebuilding in the region by drawing lessons from SAMIM experiences with the view to gain vital insights to guide in managing future SADC peace support missions and other relevant aspects of the regional peace and security architecture,” the statement reads in part.
SAMIM was operational in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province for three years from mid-July 2021 to 15 July this year. It was approved by an Extraordinary SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government in Maputo on 23 June 2021 as a regional response to support Mozambique in combatting terrorism and violent extremism. Troop contributing countries (TCCs) were Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia. A Namibian detachment joined the mission at some stage with no official recognition of it.
Among the speakers was Professor Kula Ishmael Theletsane, Director of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security. He told delegates a critical constraint on peacekeeping was a failure to undertake effective and sustained peacebuilding post conflicts and provide resources ensuring “that countries do not slide back into conflict”. He further noted the importance of documenting lessons learnt for future peace and security interventions.
Another who stressed the importance of learning lessons from SAMIM was Mozambican National Defence Minister General Cristóvão Chume. He was of the opinion SAMIM experiences and lessons can assist in improving future policies and initiatives to counter terrorism and violent extremism across the SADC region.
“The conference,” the statement has it, “provided an opportunity for participants to examine the different capacities of SADC to manage conflict and build peace using SAMIM as a case study and identified strategies to advance the cause of peace and security as a core foundation for regional integration and development”.
The conference wrapped up with delegates “consolidating a compendium of lessons” learnt with reference to regional peace and security architecture, overall findings and recommendations for SADC member states and regional stakeholders.
Closing the conference the man who was SAMIM Head of Mission, Professor Mpho Molomo, urged “all relevant parties” to ensure conference recommendations “are taken on board by crafting an actionable strategy”.
