Angola which will assume the next presidency of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) will lead the member states in promoting regional security and development, an expert has said.
Southern Africa is facing crucial security issues, including instability in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, and the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Angola could place these matters on the SADC agenda and work toward collaborative solutions to enhance its influence and contribute to regional stability, said Osvaldo Mboco, an expert in international relations at the Technical University of Angola.
The 43rd Ordinary SADC Summit of Heads State and Government will be held on Aug. 17 in Luanda, Angola. The regional economic community comprising 16 member states is dedicated to promoting sustainable and equitable economic growth and socio-economic development through cooperation and integration.
In a recent interview with Xinhua, Mboco said as one of the main mediatory countries, both politically and militarily, within the organization, Angola is “one of the states grappling with the task of adjusting conflict resolutions.”
Additionally, Mboco mentioned the challenge of industrialization as a significant concern faced by the SADC.
Persisting asymmetries among its members and a weakened intra-regional trade continue to trouble the region. “Industrialization plays a pivotal role in the dynamic integration of the SADC and in propelling regional development,” the expert said.
He mentioned Angola’s Lobito Corridor, a railway stretching from the Angolan coast to the DRC, will facilitate trade within the region.
“The SADC needs to overcome these challenges to achieve the desired development and prosperity,” he said.
