The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has postponed an extraordinary summit of its security organ that was set for the Mozambican capital Maputo on Thursday, citing the non-availability of the chairman of the body.
The regional bloc had scheduled an extraordinary summit of its Organ on Politics, Defence and Security to chart the way forward in addressing the insurgency in northern Mozambique.
SADC said the meeting has been moved to a later date since – among other reasons – organ chairman, Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Masisi could not travel to Maputo since he is currently under COVID-19 quarantine.
“This was after the leaders agreed on a postponement as a result of the unavailability of the SADC Organ Chairperson, His Excellency, President Dr Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi, who is currently in quarantine, and the Incoming Chairperson, His Excellency President Cyril Matamela Ramaphosa who is committed elsewhere,” SADC said in a statement.
The extraordinary troika summit was expected to receive a report of a technical assessment team that was deployed in Mozambique following a meeting held on April 8.
Thursday’s meeting was expected to be attended by the leaders of Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
JN/APA