Africa-Press – Lesotho. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Ambassador Dr. Samwel Shelukindo, has called on member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to strengthen unity, solidarity, and strategic coordination in addressing security challenges and shifting geopolitical dynamics affecting the region.
Ambassador Dr. Shelukindo made the remarks today, July 21, 2025, while officially opening the 27th Meeting of the Ministerial Committee of the Organ (MCO) on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, being held at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre (JNICC) in Dar es Salaam from July 21 to July 25, 2025.
“It is essential to enhance coordination and cooperation at the regional, continental, and international levels so that our efforts are efficient, cost-effective, well-coordinated, and strategically aligned. Uncoordinated approaches can undermine the progress made under frameworks such as the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) and the SADC Vision 2050,” Ambassador Shelukindo stated.
Highlighting recent achievements, he pointed to the success of the First Joint Summit of SADC and East African Community (EAC) Heads of State held in Dar es Salaam, describing it as a crucial step toward strengthening collective peace efforts in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) through the Luanda and Nairobi processes.
He further emphasised that regional solidarity is a key tool in confronting threats to regional stability, such as transnational organised crime, cybercrime, human trafficking, and drug trafficking. If left unaddressed, he warned, these challenges could hinder development and jeopardise SADC’s shared vision.
Tanzania is hosting the 27th MCO meeting in its capacity as the current Chair of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, a position it holds from August 2024 to August 2025.
The meeting will culminate in a ministerial session, scheduled for July 24 and 25, 2025, which will be chaired by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Hon. Ambassador Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, who currently serves as Chairperson of the MCO.
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