Air Vice Marshall Titus Abu Basutu (left) chats with Namibian Brigadier General Karel Ndjoba and Malawian Colonel James Kalipinde during the Sadc Interstate Defence and Security Committee meeting in Harare on May 21, 2013. They called for greater cooperat, a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.
Sadc defence forces urged to increase collaboration
Wednesday, 22 May 2013 00:00
Zimbabwe Herald
Air Vice Marshall Titus Abu Basutu (left) chats with Namibian Brigadier General Karel Ndjoba and Malawian Colonel James Kalipinde during the Sadc Interstate Defence and Security Committee meeting in Harare yesterday
Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
DEFENCE Forces in Sadc have been urged to increase collaboration to preserve peace and stability in the region. Zimbabwe Defence Forces’ Chief of Staff Service Personnel and Logistics Air Vice Marshall Titus Abu-Basutu, said this while opening the Sadc’s Inter State Defence Security Committee in Harare yesterday.
This is the second high level security meeting to be held in Zimbabwe following the Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa (CISSA) that was held at the Harare International Conference Centre a fortnight ago.
The Sadc defence chiefs meeting further endorses the capacity of the country’s defence forces despite calls for security sector reforms by the MDC-T.
“As defence institutions, we should therefore work together for the preservation of peace, security and stability of the region.
“We should have the capability and capacity to deal with the defence challenges in the region.
“Thus, as a security preventive measure, the intervention by AU in trouble spots, supported by regional blocs such as Sadc is of great importance,” he said.
AVM Abu-Basutu said the continuous development of human resources was of paramount importance to ensure adequate responses by both the region and AU.
He said Sadc had made great strides in having an efficient force through joint military exercises.
“The exercises are designed and aimed at preparing the Sadc region in the event that there is a need to carry out UN and AU mandated missions,” he said.
The meeting is also looking at addressing gender balance in the region’s defence forces to achieve the 30 percent target of female participation that has been adopted.
“The need for this ordinary meeting to conclude the human resources main standard operating procedures can never be over emphasised as the matter has remained outstanding for quite some time now,” AVM Abu-Basutu said.
“The establishment of an effective Reserve Force by Sadc countries is essential. The Reserve Forces serve as back-up forces when the need arises. This meeting therefore should come up with sound recommendations over this matter.”
Meanwhile, the outgoing chairman of the ISDSC Working Group on Human Resources, Brigadier General Karel Ndjoba from the Namibian Defence Forces commended Zimbabwe’s role in ensuring there was peace and security in the region.
“We really appreciate the role Zimbabwe has played in the region and the hospitality they have shown in hosting this conference.
“They have shown true brotherly spirit as our counterparts,” he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment