To be better able to promote peace and security in southern Africa, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Directorate of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Affairs held a five-day workshop in South Africa’s North West province.
The Capacity Building and Strategic Planning workshop, as per an SADC statement, from 22 to 26 July in Magaliesburg was “an opportunity to enhance co-ordination and capacities for the Organ sectors, units and programmes”. These are listed as defence affairs, public security, politics and diplomacy, police/SARPCCO (Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Co-operation Organisation), state security, the Regional Counter Terrorism Centre (RCTC), Regional Peacekeeping Training Centre (RPTC) and two programmes supporting the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Affairs. They are: enhancing the capability and effectiveness of SADC’s peace and security architecture (ECEPSA) and the Fourth European Union (EU)-African peace and security architecture (EU-APSA IV) programmes.
Key issues up for discussion during the workshop were implementation of RISDP (Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan) 2020-2030 and SADC Vision 2050, which envisions a peaceful, inclusive, competitive, middle- to high-income industrialised region.
The statement names as “annual security threats” in the region terrorism and violent extremism in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado.
“Participants,” it continues, “also had the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the interventions, objectives and outcomes of the EU-APSA IV and ECESPA projects, both of which are aimed at promoting peace, security, stability and democracy as a foundation for regional integration and development in line with the objectives of the regional strategic development plan”.
“At the end of the Workshop, staff of the Organ Directorate committed to enhance their efforts and collaborate as the continue to support the consolidation of peace, security and good governance in support of regional integration and sustainable development.”
