Staff Reporter

The SADC Council of Ministers yesterday held a Virtual meeting where they agreed and approved the budget for the deployment of the Regional Standby Force to be deployed in Mozambique.

The Council of Ministers further agreed that participating member States would contribute towards the Mozambican mission.

Speaking after the meeting, Chief Director Multilateral Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ambassador Raphael Faranisi said the issue of sustainable funding of peace operations in the region will be on the agenda of the next Council of Ministers meeting considering that the region is facing serious challenges arising from terrorism.

“You are aware that last Wednesday the SADC Heads of State met in an Extra Ordinary Session to discuss issues of peace and security in the region with reference to Mozambique. The Heads of State directed that the Council of Ministers meet immediately to discuss and approve the budget for the deployment of the SADC Standby Force to Mozambique.

“So today (yesterday) the Council of Ministers met in Mozambique which is the Chairperson of that Council of Ministers and deliberated on the budget and I am happy to say that the budget was approved and SADC will finance this mission from its own resources. Additionally those members who will be involved in the mission will be expected to make extra contributions to complement what SADC has provided,” he said.

Ambassador Faranisi said, “From now onwards, we should be in a position to see the SADC Standby Force being deployed to Mozambique since the Council of Ministers has approved the budget.”

SADC of Heads of State met last week in Maputo, Mozambique where they approved the deployment of standby forces to deal with terrorism in Mozambique. The Summit urged member States to continue with humanitarian support to the Mozambican population affected by the terrorism attack in the northern Cabo Delgado Province.