The Southern African Development Community (SADC) peacekeeping mission in Mozambique, known as SAMIM, is set to withdraw next week after successfully reclaiming villages from rebel groups, according to a statement made by Zambia’s Foreign Minister Mulambo Haimbe during a regional security meeting.
Haimbe addressed delegates in Lusaka, Zambia, on Friday, announcing that SAMIM will fully demobilize on July 15th, 2024.
The mission, comprised of troops from seven SADC nations, was deployed in 2021 to quell fighting in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province, a resource-rich region targeted by insurgents.
The successful conclusion of the Mozambique mission comes as the regional bloc expresses confidence in its ongoing peacekeeping efforts in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Haimbe indicated that the SADC Mission in DR Congo (SAMIM-DRC) is also expected to achieve its objective of addressing insecurity in the eastern part of that country.
This ministerial meeting in Lusaka served as a precursor to the SADC Organ on Politics, Defense, and Security’s summit scheduled for next month in Harare, Zimbabwe.
The summit will likely see discussions on future regional security strategies and potential areas for continued cooperation.
