Zambia: Zambia’s High Commissioner to Mozambique, Mary Chirwa, says President Hakainde Hichilema is dedicated to restoring peace and stability in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado Province and the entire Southern African region.
Chirwa says Hichilema believes peace and stability are of paramount importance in fostering social and economic development in the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
She says President Hichilema, the current chairman of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, is committed to ensuring that all logistical support is rendered to the SADC mission in Mozambique (SAMIM).
She was speaking when she visited the Zambia Air Force deployment under SAMIM.
She explained that President Hichilema is resolved to see that the operations under SAMIM in the Cabo Delgado region succeed.
She added that the Zambian Government is keen to see peace continue to thrive in Cabo Delgado Province even after the SAMIM personnel wind up operations sometime next year.
“It is our firm desire and belief to see to it that the conflict in the Cabo Delgado Province of Mozambique is neutralized to guarantee peace to the people of Mozambique and the SADC region at large,” she said.
And special representative of the Chair of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security and Head of the SADC Mission in Mozambique, Mpho Molomo, commended Zambia for being the champion in fostering peace in the SADC region and beyond.
Professor Molomo said Zambia had been a proponent of peace in the SADC region spanning many years and commended the efforts and sacrifice leaders such as first Republican President Kenneth Kaunda rendered.
The SAMIM Head of Mission also thanked the Zambian government for taking the lead in supporting other countries to gain their independence through the Lusaka manifesto in 1969.
He paid glowing tribute to the Zambian government for the continuous logistical support it has been rendering to the SAMIM and called for more help in order to ease the operations among men and women in uniforms.
Furthermore, Professor Molomo thanked the High Commissioner to Mozambique for finding time to visit the mission area and said that her visit is a true testimony of the Government of Zambia’s dedication to ensuring peace and stability is restored in Cabo Delgado Province.
He expressed optimism that the people of Mozambique in the Cabo Delgado Province will be able to stand on their own after the SADC mission ends.
He said this follows the positive strides the Zambian Government is making by virtue of being the chair of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security cooperation by providing logistical support.
Meanwhile, the SADC mission in Mozambique, Anthony Subitu from Tanzania, praised the Zambian defence personnel for their exceptional performance during their stay in the Cabo Delgado Province of Mozambique.
Major General Subitu expressed confidence that the contributions the Military personnel are making at the SADC mission in Mozambique will combat the terrorism and extremism in the Cabo Delgado Province. The High Commissioner later visited the Zambian Contingent and thanked them for their sacrifice and hard work.
Chirwa assured personnel that the government was in full support of their presence in SAMIM and recognized their hard work. She appealed to personnel to exercise high levels of discipline and integrity.
