SADC has reiterated its commitment to fighting political instability and the social and economic threats faced by some member states.

This was said by the Chairperson of the SADC Ministerial Committee of the Organ, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, at the meeting of the Ministerial Committee of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defense, and Security Cooperation.

Nandi-Ndaitwah cited as an example the instability in the eastern part of the DRC that has claimed hundreds of lives and displaced thousands.

Another concern is the terrorist attacks in Cabo Delgado Province, Mozambique.

Nandi-Ndaitwah says the region has put in place measures, including the revision of national counter-terrorism strategies as well as the implementation of socio-economic transformation policies.

"These security challenges threaten our common aspirations for regional integration and further threaten to close the economic space for development and incentives for industries to grow and create sustainable jobs, in particular for women and youth. We applaud recent initiatives aimed at ending hostilities in the eastern DRC. Experience shows that peace and security are the bedrock of sustainable development. Therefore, we must never lose sight of our common vision, Vision 2050, whose five-year implementation plans, the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plans (RISDP), provide further guidance to achieve our collective aspiration."

In a speech read on his behalf, SADC Executive Secretary Elias Mpedi Magosi called for collective efforts to address the prevalent political and security challenges in the region.

"Indeed, peace and security form the backbone of the SADC region's sustainable development and integration agenda. While our region remains generally stable and peaceful, pockets of instability in some parts of our region remind us that we must remain vigilant against the emerging threats to peace, security, and the well-being of our citizens and continue ramping up our collective efforts to address the prevalent political and security challenges in the region. Your meeting today will, therefore, deliberate on critical matters for the sustenance of peace, security, and well-being in the region."

The meeting will map out a way forward to bolster peace and security in SADC.