African Diplomacy Observer

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Heads of State and Government met in Lusaka (Zambia) from 5 to 18 August 2007 to discuss, among other issues, regional integration, the implementation of infrastructure development in the region and the launching of the SADC Standby Force.

The launching of this force has been decided on 17th August 2007. The force will be one of the five regional brigades to be established by each of the sub-regional organizations (ECOWAS, SADC, IGAD, ECCAS, UMA) that will composed the Africa Standby Force (ASF) whose overall objective is to achieve full African Union capacity to manage complex peacekeeping operations in conjunction with regional standby forces by 30 June 2010. The African Standby Force (ASF) will constitute an important part of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) that is being set up since the creation and effective launching of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU) in 2004.

According to Levy Mwanawasa, the president of Zambia, which presides over the SADC, the SADC Force will be able to take part to observation, monitoring, peacekeeping and securization missions. Furthermore, it could also be charged to undertake disarmament missions in the aftermath of conflicts and provide assistance after natural disaster.

The Force will be made of troops for the SADC member states. With the exception of Madagascar which doesn’t possess Armed Forces, the other member states will provide troops. These countries include the following: Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. According to Aziz Pahad, South Africa Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, the SADC Brigade will form part of the AU-UN hybrid force that will be deploy in the Sudanese western province of Darfur. He added that the SADC Standby Force, which will be fully operational by 31 October 2007, will be based in Botswana, although each of its national components will be based in their respective country on permanent alert.

Last 15th of August 2007, the Republic of Congo commemorated the 47th anniversary of its independence from France. On this occasion, the Congolese president, Denis Sassou-Nguesso, addressed the nation on the state of the country and the challenges it faces for the future. In this address, he underlined the return of peace after years of civil war and political instability and the country’s progresses (economic, social and diplomatic).

With regard to the country’s diplomatic achievements, president Sassou emphasized recent successes of the Congolese diplomacy. Among these successes, he noted the membership of the country in the UN Security Council during the past one and half year. In the same vein, the Congo has for four years continuously assumed the presidency of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS). Moreover, in 2006 the Congo has been chosen to preside over the African Union (AU). According to the president, all this illustrates the efficiency of the country’s external policy; an efficiency which allowed it to take back its place and role on the international scene and make its voice heard and appreciated.

The recent appointment of the Congolese former Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and of the African Union Head of the Commission to the Darfur, and therefore Head of the recently created UN-AU Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), illustrated the recognition of the country’s diplomacy merit. In addition, he announced that Congo will increase its contribution to peace efforts in Darfur with a supplementary company of the Congolese Armed Forces for the UNAMID that will reinforce Congolese observers already present in the region.