João Lourenço, who was speaking as president of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), referred that the summit of heads of state and government of the organization, in which he assumed the rotating presidency for one year, exhaustively addressed issues related to the peace and security not only in the southern region, but also in Africa and the world.
According to João Lourenço, the current scenario in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, is considerably calmer and more stable, largely due to the entry into action of the joint SADC force on alert, whose mission of the contingent present in the Portuguese-speaking country was recently extended for another year in response to the positive results that have been recorded.
"Stability in this area of Mozambique will be the key for us to be able to take objective steps, tending to attract the necessary support for the economic and social reconstruction of Cabo Delgado province and consequently of the country", said João Lourenço.
With regard to the situation in eastern DR Congo, the SADC president stressed that work will continue to search for ways to peace in the region, in close coordination and concertation with other currently existing mechanisms "for the resolution of this intricate conflict".
"We welcome the decision on sending the deployment of the SADC Reinforced Brigade Forces, for a period of 12 months, whose ultimate objective is to help this sister country to find the fastest paths to stability, thus contributing to total pacification of the region", he pointed out.
João Lourenço also stressed that the current situation in Sudan is a concern of the community, which has already caused thousands of deaths, internally displaced people and refugees and destroyed many of the country's infrastructures.
"We appeal to the parties in conflict to put an immediate end to the use of weapons and agree to resolve the differences that separate them by sitting at the negotiating table, in order to achieve the necessary peace, national reconstruction and the country's economic and social development", he exhorted.
The situation in the Sahel region, continued João Lourenço, is also worrying, marked by terrorist actions and "unconstitutional changes of Governments legitimately elected by the people, through coups d'état practiced by military leaders".
"We encourage all efforts by member countries of ECOWAS [Economic Community of West African States] with a view to further restoring the legal and constitutional order in the countries concerned", he stressed.
Regarding the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine, according to João Lourenço, SADC defends "the need to put an end to the war" due to the consequences it represents for world peace and security, for food and energy security and for international trade.
"Weapons must be silent and give way to diplomacy, to avoid the escalation of the conflict or a possible nuclear confrontation, negotiating a peace that is really lasting for Europe", he advocated.
According to João Lourenço, these and other conflicts that are developing in Africa and in the world, associated with the drought that affects vast areas of the region, the still present and harmful consequences of the covid-19 pandemic and other factors have been the main causes of the current crisis, around the world food production deficit.
For this reason, he argued, it should be part of the concerns and collective effort to identify measures "that mitigate the resulting impacts" and lead to the production of more agricultural products until food self-sufficiency is achieved.
SADC is an economic bloc formed by the Portuguese-speaking Angola and Mozambique, in addition to South Africa, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Comoros, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, Swaziland, Seychelles, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
