Waziri wa Mambo ya Nje na Ushirikiano wa Afrika Mashariki, Dkt.
Augustine Mahiga akizungumza wakati wa ufunguzi wa Mkutano wa Kamati Ndogo ya
Mawaziri wa Siasa na Diplomasia wa Jumuiya ya Maendeleo Kusini mwa Afrika
(SADC). Mkutano huo umefanyika kwenye Kituo cha Kimataifa cha Mikutano cha
Julius Nyerere Jijini Dar es Salaam
Naibu Waziri wa Mambo ya Nje na Ushirikiano wa Afrika Mashariki, Dkt.
Susan Kolimba ( kulia) akifuatilia ufunguzi wa mkutano huo pamoja na
washiriki wengine.
Waziri wa Mambo ya Nje wa Msumbiji akifuatilia ufunguzi wa mkutao huo
Baadhi ya Wakurugenzi kutoka Wizara ya Mambo ya Nje na Ushirikiano wa
Afrika Mashariki nao wakimsikiliza Waziri Mahiga alipokuwa akizungumza katika
ufunguzi wa mkutano huo., Kushoto ni Mkurugenzi wa Kitengo cha Sheria, Balozi
Baraka Luvanda akifuatiwa na Mkurugenzi wa Idara ya Mashariki ya Kati, Balozi
Abdallah Kilima
Katibu Mtendaji wa SADC, Dkt. Stregomena Tax naye akizungumza
wakati wa Mkutano huo.
Mkurugenzi wa Idara ya Ushirikiano wa Kikanda, Balozi Innocent Shiyo
akitoa ratiba ya mkutano kwa wajumbe
Sehemu ya wajumbe kutoka Zimbabwe wakiwa na Balozi wao
anayeiwakilisha Zimbabwe hapa nchini Mhe. Edzai Chimonyo (katikati)
Sehemu ya Watumishi wa Mambo ya Nje wakifuatilia ufunguzi wa
mkutano huo
OPENING
REMARKS BY HON. DR. AUGUSTINE P. MAHIGA (MP) MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND
EAST AFRICAN COOPERATION OF THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA
AND THE
CHAIRPERSON OF INTER-STATE POLITICS AND
DIPLOMACY
COMMITTEE, (ISPDC) MEETING HELD ON
24THFEBRUARY,
2017 DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA
Honorable Ministers,
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good Morning.
It is a great
honor and privilege for me to host this important Statutory Meeting of the
Inter-State Politics and Diplomacy Committee (ISPDC) of the Organ on Politics,
Defence and Security Cooperation. As was indicated by the Executive Secretary,
a gathering of this nature draws its mandate from Article 6 (5) of the Protocol
on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, which makes provision for the
Chairperson of the ISPDC to convene at least one meeting of the committee per
year. I wish to welcome you brothers and sisters to the United
Republic of Tanzania, a country where hospitality is our tradition.
Distinguished Delegates,
It is my
first time to host this meeting since Tanzania assumed the Chair of the SADC
Organ on Politics, Defense and Security Cooperation in August, 2016. As our
role entails, we are here to discuss, deliberate on and come up with fruitful
decisions on the political, peace and security situation in the region.
I wish to
acknowledge and commend efforts made by member states to ensure that there is
peace, security and stability particularly in our fellow Member States of the
Kingdom of Lesotho and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Since the
last meeting, there have been a number of political developments within these
two Member States and the Organ and MCO have initiated several interventions.
In the Kingdom of Lesotho, the Oversight Committee (OC) continues with its work
on the ground, I am glad to announce that on 12th February 2017, the SADC
Facilitator and members of the Oversight Committee welcomed the leaders of
opposition parties who had been in exile in South Africa. Thus, in line with
the decisions of the SADC Summit, it is expected that the return of the exiled
leaders will contribute to the national reconciliation of the Basotho nation as
it prepares to undertake fundamental structural reforms aimed at normalizing
the political and security challenges affecting the country since August 2014.
Honorable Ministers,
As for DRC, a
direct Ministerial Assessment Mission has continued to maintain a presence
there and provides continued support to the Member State. Recently, a technical
assessment team comprising of officers from the Secretariat and the United
Republic of Tanzania was deployed to the DRC from 13 to 17 February, 2017, to
further assess the situation on the ground.
In light of
the above, this meeting will give us an opportunity to interrogate these and
other matters that continue to affect our Region. It will also give us an
opportunity to review relevant policy documents that will enable us to execute
this noble mandate in response to increasing contemporary complexities.
Distinguished Delegates,
May I
reiterate the importance of our duty to promote and protect democracy, which is
a vehicle for unity and economic development in the SADC region. Let us recall
that it is only through peaceful co-existence and stability that we can achieve
all the goals of the community.
As the chair
I am aware that, among other issues, during this meeting we will have an
opportunity to set an agreed date on the commemoration of the Southern Africa
Liberation day. A day that will signify the liberation struggles of the
frontline states which led to the formation of the SADCC organization in
1980. The celebrations will also uphold and support the founding
principles of the SADC Treaty and Protocol on Politics, Defense and Security
cooperation which is the guiding book of the organ.
Distinguished Delegates,
As you may
all agree, SADC is one of the strongest and longest surviving regional groups
in Sub- Saharan Africa. Not only that but it also has strong bonds that tie its
members together. This has been highlighted by the requests from other states;
the Union of Comoros in 2015 and from the Republic of Burundi in 2016 to join
the organization. This meeting has been tasked to assess the eligibility of
both states to join SADC.
Together, let
us see if both states meet the set criteria for membership of SADC and advise
our Heads of States accordingly.
Distinguished Delegates,
With these
few remarks and tasks ahead of us, I wish to declare this meeting officially
opened.
‘Asanteni
sana’
‘Karibuni
Tanzania’
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