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SADC Sets Up Group of Experts On Common Defense

Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique (Maputo)
NEWS
August 8, 2003
Posted to the web August 8, 2003
Maputo
The Committee of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) for
Cooperation on Politics, Defense and Security has decided to set up a group of
experts charged with the task of analysing matters related to the region's
contribution to an African Common Defense and Security Policy.
The decisioon was taken during the organization's ministerial meeting in Maputo
on Thursday.
This meeting, that gathered all the SADC member countries defense ministers,
except from the democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Seychelles, they
approved the organ's Indicative Plan, and also agreed that some of the ideas in
it should be integrated into the Regional Indicative Strategic development Plan
(RISDP).
On the situation in Zimbabwe, the meeting expressed a serious concern over the
continued sanctions against that country.
The participants noted that those sanctions are unjustified, and that they will
affect not only the Zimbabwean people but it also has deep negative effects in
the region as a whole. They called for the lifting of the sanctions and urged
the international community to engage in a constructive dialogue with that
country's government.
In the meeting's final communique, received by AIM on Thursday, the
participants reiterated the indivisibility of the organization, and expressed
their solidarity with Zimbabwe.
As for the humanitarian crisis in Southern Africa, the ministers thanked the
support of the international community.
The meeting lamanted the withdrawal of the Seychelles from the organization,
which was justified with financial problems and the process of economic
restructuring through which the country is going. But it was agreed that the
organization is to continue discussing the matter at bilateral level and also
in the context of international fora, in order to help the country overcome the
problems it is facing.

   

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