Zambia: Zambia Army Commander and Chairperson of the SADC Defence Sub-Committee of the organ Troika, Lt. Gen Sitali Dennis Alibuzwi, says his Committee is attending the AU Quadripartite Meeting to discuss and harmonize the possibility of deploying troops under the SADC Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC).
Meanwhile, Zambia’s Ambassador accredited to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union and UNECA, Rose Sakala, has said Zambia is keen to continue contributing to the social, economic, political and security standing of the SADC region.
The Ambassador was speaking when Zambia Army Commander and Chairperson of the SADC Defence Sub Committee of the Organ Troika, Lt Gen Sitali Dennis Alibuzwi, alongside Director General State Security and Chairperson of the SADC Inter-State Security Sub Committee, Friday Nyambe, and Zambia Air Force Commander and Chairperson of the Zambia Defence Force on SADC Defence Sub Committee, Lt Gen Colin Barry paid a courtesy call on her at the Zambian Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Wednesday, 4 October 2023.
Sakala commended the role the Republican President, Hakainde Hichilema, continues to play as Chairperson of the Organ Troika in collaboration with other regional leaders to ensure that the region is peaceful and economically viable.
The three Service Chiefs are in Addis Ababa attending the SADC Extraordinary Defence and Inter-State Sub Committee Meeting of the Organ Troika Plus SAMIDRC, and Troop Contributing Countries Meeting, as well as the African Union organized Quadripartite Meeting of Defence Chiefs of Members of the Quadripartite.
The Quadripartite Meeting consists of the East African Community (EAC), the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), Southern African Development.
Community (SADC) aims to promote coherence of the Quadripartite’s existing peace initiatives in line with the relevant instruments and decisions with a clear division of responsibilities and agreed timelines.
The two high-level Meetings are also being attended by teams of experts from the Quadripartite that include Zambia Army Chief of Operations, Brig Gen Barry Mutale, Zambia Air Force Vice Chief of Operations, Col Indie Kayama and other Senior Defence Force and State Security Officers.
The Meetings that commenced on Monday, 1 October, end on Friday, 6 October, 2023.