The Southern African Development Community (SADC) held a virtual Extraordinary Summit on January 5, 2025, to discuss the political and security situation in Mozambique following the disputed presidential elections on October 9, 2024.
The ruling FRELIMO party’s candidate, Daniel Chapo, was declared the winner, but the opposition rejected the results, leading to widespread protests. These protests have been met with a violent police crackdown, resulting in many deaths and injuries.
The Summit was chaired by Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, with Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema and Malawi’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nancy Gladys Tembo, also in attendance.
Other participants included ministers from Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia, as well as SADC Executive Secretary Elias Magosi.
President Hassan said that the unrest in Mozambique affects the entire SADC region’s socio-economic stability.
President Hichilema noted that the situation is hindering regional trade, especially in the energy and transport sectors. He called for collective action to restore peace and stability in Mozambique.
Magosi expressed SADC’s solidarity with the people of Mozambique and the need for unity and cooperation to return to normalcy.
The Summit tasked the SADC Panel of Elders, supported by the Ministerial Committee of the Organ (MCO) Troika Member States and the SADC Secretariat, to engage with the Mozambican government and opposition leaders and report back by January 15, 2025.
The Summit also directed the Interstate Defence and Security Committee to propose measures to protect regional trade routes, humanitarian corridors, and energy supplies while addressing the political and security challenges in Mozambique.
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