Zambia: Defense Permanent Secretary Norman Chipakupaku says Zambia remains committed to enhancing peace and security within the region. Chipakupaku was speaking during the opening ceremony of the 12th Session of the Joint Permanent Commission on Defence and Security (JPC-DS).
Speaking at the same event, the Counsellor Home Affairs in Charge of Security, Stanilas Ignace Bakatuimana, welcomed the meeting and was confident the two country’s representatives would come together to create sustainable solutions to address the security threats affecting both Zambia and DRC.
Meanwhile, Zambia Air Force Commander, Lt Gen Colin Barry, Co-Chair of the Defence Committee, thanked the governments of the two nations for their support and for allowing the 12th Session to take place, especially since the DRC was preparing to hold general elections.
He said this showed the governments’ importance towards resolving threats faced between the two nations, such as smuggling, human trafficking, poaching and money laundering.
Gen Barry stressed the importance of these meetings as they allowed a review and evaluation of the previous resolutions made by the Committee.
He also noted that increased threats required urgent address as they could destabilize the region and continent as a whole. The Chairperson of the Defence Committee, Brig Gen Mawa Kandolo Corneille, thanked the Co-Chair and his delegation for attending the meeting and acknowledged the cordial relationship the two countries continued to enjoy.
Brig Gen Corneille said meetings of this nature were welcomed as they further strengthened the bilateral relationship between the two nations and called for more frequent interactions with one another.
He highlighted the importance his government placed in these meetings as they are a means of curbing the very real threats of terrorism as well as the proliferation of illegal firearms trading.
The Session will see high-ranking representatives from Zambia’s Defence and Security Wings meet with their counterparts from DRC to discuss matters of defence, state and public security that affect the two nations.
The meeting is being held in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), from the 11th to 15th September 2023.
