Harnessing the benefits of a SADC Standby Force in Mozambique
Careful planning is needed to ensure the mission adds value and helps stabilise Cabo Delgado province.
Southern African leaders agreed on 23 June to deploy a Standby Force of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to help Mozambique deal with violent extremism in its northern province. This could be a turning point in efforts to address the four-year insurgency.
What factors will determine the standby force’s success against insurgents who have so far resisted local and foreign troops, and controlled strategic towns in Cabo Delgado for more than a year? Lessons from other parts of Africa where similar missions have been deployed show mixed results. This seminar will discuss the prospects and options for SADC’s forces in Mozambique.
This seminar is co-hosted by the Hanns Seidel Foundation, the Institute for Security Studies and News24.
Chair: Lynsey Chutel, Africa Correspondent, News24
Speakers:
Dr Zacarias Agostinho, Mozambican diplomat and expert in development, governance, peacebuilding and security
Martin Ewi, ENACT Regional Coordinator for Southern Africa, ISS Pretoria
Borges Namhirre, Senior Research Consultant, ISS Pretoria
Prof Abel Esterhuyse, Head, Department of Strategic Studies, University of Stellenbosch
