The President of Madagascar replaced his Zimbabwean counterpart, Emerson Mnangagwa, at the summit's opening ceremony.
"At this solemn moment in our shared history, I accept with pride and a sense of duty the mission of presiding over SADC. A responsibility I assume to build a stronger, more integrated, and prosperous Southern Africa," declared Andry Rajoelina.
Following the opening ceremony, the leaders of the 16 SADC member states held a closed-door meeting.
The leaders of Southern African countries seek to chart the region's course, discuss how to boost intraregional trade, and reduce dependence on external partners.
This year's theme is to eliminate barriers, streamline the transport of goods, and retain more value within the southern African continent, which has been affected by rising customs duties, reduced aid, and global geopolitical instability.
In addition to Madagascar and Zimbabwe, the SADC is comprised of Portuguese-speaking countries Mozambique and Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Africa, Botswana, Cameroon, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, Seychelles, Tanzania, and Zambia.
South Africa has been designated as the future chair of the SADC in 2026 and will host the 46th summit in August of next year, almost a decade after first holding that position.
SADC reaffirms "unwavering commitment" to peace in eastern DR Congo
The community reaffirmed its "unwavering commitment" to promoting peace in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) during the closing session of its 45th annual summit.
In its final communiqué, the organization highlighted the mediation efforts undertaken by the African Union Commission, SADC, and the East African Community (EAC), as well as the peace processes led by African countries, the agreement reached in Washington, and the declaration of principles signed in Doha.
During his speech, SADC Executive Secretary Elias Magosi noted that the EAC and SADC agreed to merge their respective mediation structures, in conjunction with the African Union (AU), to strengthen continental leadership in resolving the conflict in eastern DRC.
The conflict between the Congolese army and the rebel group March 23 Movement (M23), allegedly supported by Rwanda, has intensified in recent weeks, despite the deadline for signing a final agreement ending this Monday.
A Qatari official involved in the mediation said on Sunday that a draft peace agreement already exists and that Doha is preparing to host "an important round of negotiations," without, however, providing a specific date.
