AfricaPress-Tanzania: VICE-PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan is expected to represent President John Magufuli at the extraordinary SADC Troika Summit scheduled for Gaborone, Botswana, on Saturday.
The summit brings together Botswana, Malawi and Zimbabwe as well as Force Intervention Brigade (FIB) troops contributing countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mozambique.
Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Prof Palamagamba Kabudi confirmed that the Tanzanian delegation will be led by Ms Samia.
He said the summit will be preceded by a meeting of the SADC Standing Committee of Senior Officials of the organ on politics, defence and security co-operation followed by an extraordinary meeting of the Ministerial Committee of the Organ (MCO) on politics, defence and security Co-operation.
The meeting is scheduled to take place today “Among other issues, the summit is set to discuss the reconfiguration of the Force Intervention Brigade under the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO); as well as the terrorism situation in the SADC Region,” said Prof Kabudi
The Vice-President will be accompanied by Prof Kabudi, Permanent Secretary in Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Brigadier General Wilbert Ibuge, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Defence Dr Faraji Mnyepe and the Acting Director, Regional Cooperation Department and SADC National Coordinator, Ms Agnes Kayola.
The SADC Organ on Politics Defence and Security is managed on a Troika basis and is responsible for promoting peace and security in the SADC region.
It is mandated to steer and provide Member states with direction regarding matters that threaten peace, security and stability in the region.
It is coordinated at the level of Summit, consisting of a Chairperson, Incoming Chairperson and Outgoing Chairperson, and reports to the SADC Summit Chairperson.
