SADC Undertakes a Technical Experts Mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia Border

Following the security incidents which occurred in mid-March 2020 along the Zambia and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) border in the Lakes Tanganyika and Mweru/Mwero, the Chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defense and Security Affairs, His Excellency President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, President of the Republic of Zimbabwe directed the Executive Secretary of SADC to facilitate the constitution and deployment of a Technical Experts Team to conduct a mission to the affected border areas.

The Technical Experts Border Issue Team Mission led by a representative of the Chairperson of the Organ, comprising experts from the Republics of Botswana, DRC, Zambia and Zimbabwe and supported by the SADC Secretariat, was deployed on 23rd July 2020, namely, at Chibanga and Kibanga; Kalubamba; Musosa; Luchinda and Pweto. The objective of the Mission is to conduct sensitization campaigns for various target groups in order to secure full cooperation of the local population; facilitate the adoption of common system for determination of the border coordinates, and a phased approach for the border demarcation and identification of key reference beacons along the border.

The Mission is expected to end on the 29th July 2020 and a detailed report will be submitted to the Chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defense and Security Cooperation.

At this juncture, no public statements have been issued by the DRC-Zambia Technical Experts Border Issue Team Mission.