Maravi

Africa must be free from bondage - Levy

Africa must be free from bondage - Levy
By Bivan Saluseki and Brighton Phiri
Saturday August 18, 2007 [04:00]

PRESIDENT Levy Mwanawasa yesterday said Africa and its people must be free from any form of bondage and servitude. And President Mwanawasa has said the scourge of conflicts in Africa constituted a major impediment to the socio-economic development of the continent. During the launch of the Southern Africa Development Community Brigade (SADCBRIG), which is a regional standby force, at Lusaka's City Airport, President Mwanawasa expressed worry at the increase in the number of internal conflicts in some African countries.

"It is thus imperative for all of us to spearhead the promotion of peace, security and stability as a necessary pre-requisite for Africa's social and economic development and integration," he said.
President Mwanawasa said Africa had doubled its efforts and achieved progress towards the formalisation of relationships between the United Nations and the African Union, specifically to enhance conflict management.

"At the same time, the deterioration of peace and security in Africa, especially the rise in the number and intensity of internal conflicts led to a re-opening of the debate on the need for a continental security agenda," he said.

He said the force would consist of standby multidisciplinary contingents, with civilian and military components located in their countries of origin and ready for rapid deployment anywhere in Africa at appropriate notice.

President Mwanawasa said the SADC brigade would serve in peace-building efforts including post-conflict disarmament and de-mobilisation and humanitarian assistance to alleviate the suffering of civilian populations in conflict areas and also support efforts of major natural disasters.

He said the SADC brigade would have the planning elements at the SADC secretariat as its only permanent structure.
President Mwanawasa said the brigade would operate on a daily basis as a tool of the SADC organ on politics, defence and security cooperation, and would receive its guidance from the SADC committee of chiefs of defence staff and the committee of SADC police chiefs.

"The SADC brigade, like all other regional brigades, will be part and parcel of the African standby force," he said.
He said the brigade would remain domiciled within their countries of origin on an on-call level of alert for the duration of the assignment.

"In short, this is in fact a permanent standby arrangement," he said.

President Mwanawasa said training of the brigade at all levels would remain a key priority for SADC nations in order to provide a sound legal basis for their co-operation in the establishment and maintenance of the brigade.
On Thursday evening, the heads of state and government met to deliberate over several issues affecting the region.
After the meeting, South African foreign minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma said she could not state if she was optimistic a solution had been found for Zimbabwe.

Dr Zuma said the heads of state and government would handle the matter.
SADC executive secretary Tomaz Salomao on Wednesday said the regional group would consider options including a "hard line", "quiet diplomacy" or a "different" method.

And speaking during the state banquet, which he hosted in honour of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) heads of state and government, President Mwanawasa said since attaining independence, Zambia had preserved and maintained the vision that the continent of Africa and its people should be free of any form of bondage.
"It was against this background that on attaining independence, Zambia and its people decided to support the liberation struggles in Southern Africa," President Mwanawasa said.

He said the support Zambians rendered to their brothers and sisters in the region, who were still under the yoke of colonial oppression, minority rule and apartheid, was possible because of cordial and brotherly relationship they maintained with other free and progressive states in the world.

"This history of hospitality renders us ever more willing to accept any responsibility that make us renew our commitment to the southern African region," he said.

President Mwanawasa asked the SADC leaders to use the summit to remind themselves of their common mission and pay homage to the founding fathers of the region, who conceived the vision to which they had dedicated their energy and resources.

"We, therefore, once again, feel greatly honoured to host the 27th ordinary SADC summit of heads of state and government and to assume the chairmanship of SADC. We consider it a fulfilment of our historic mission of promoting African unity and c-operation," he said.

Labels: SADC, ZIMBABWE

posted by MrK @ 5:11 AM