The presidents of Botswana, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Malawi, Lesotho, Zambia, Mozambique and Angola missed a critical SADC summit.

They were in the United Kingdom after attending the coronation of King Charles III.

The aim of the summit was to consider report findings on the DRC conflict and review SADC armed force operations in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado.

Several Southern African Development Community (SADC) heads of state missed the Extraordinary Organ Troika Summit in Windhoek, Namibia, because they were in the United Kingdom after they attended the coronation of King Charles III on Saturday.

Incoming SADC chairperson, Angolan President João Lourenço, was represented by his Minister of External Relations, Tete António, and outgoing chairperson, Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera, sent Minister of Defence Harry Mkandawire in his place.

Mkandawire was chosen ahead of vice-president Saulos Chilima, whose duties were suspended by Chakwera last year due to a graft probe involving alleged kickbacks from British-Malawian businessman, Zuneth Abdul Rashid Sattar.

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema asked ambassador to Namibia Stephen Katuka to represent him.

Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Lesotho and Madagascar were represented by officials from their embassies.

The host, Namibian President Hage Geingob; South African president Cyril Ramaphosa, who didn’t attend the coronation; Tanzanian president Samia Suluhu Hassan; and Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi attended the summit.

Order of the day 

In his opening remarks, SADC executive secretary Elias Magosi said the summit was one of the most important gatherings on the SADC calendar this year.

He said:

It’s one of the most crucial structures of SADC, mandated to promote peace, and security in the region in recognition of the fundamental importance of peace and security to our drive towards regional integration, cooperation, integration and socio-economic development.

Despite Islamic extremist-linked insurgency in the oil gas-rich Cabo Delgado province in Mozambique, and conflict in the eastern part of the DRC, the SADC region remains the most peaceful region in Africa.

Hence, to improve on this, Magosi said SADC instruments employed to tackle crisis hotspots should remain activated.