Namibia Participates in SADC Security Talks Ahead of Ministerial Committee Meeting

Namibia Participates in SADC Security Talks Ahead of Ministerial Committee Meeting. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Senior Officials’ Meeting of the 27th Ordinary Meeting of the Ministerial Committee of the Organ (MCO) commenced today in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, drawing participation from across the region, including a high-level Namibian delegation.

Leading Namibia’s delegation is Ambassador Jerobeam Shaanika, Deputy Executive Director and Head of the Multilateral Relations and Cooperation Department at the Ministry of International Relations and Trade (MIRT). The two-day meeting, running from July 21 to 22, will set the stage for the official MCO session scheduled to begin on July 24.

The MCO is tasked with reviewing progress on previous decisions by SADC’s MCO, Council of Ministers, and Summit of Heads of State and Government. Key topics under review include regional peace and security, the political situation in member states, and efforts to strengthen democracy and governance across the bloc.

Namibia’s delegation includes several senior officials, among them: His Excellency Lebius Tobias, Namibian High Commissioner to Tanzania; Her Excellency Elizabeth Kakukuru, Namibian High Commissioner to Botswana and Representative to SADC; Mr. Étienne Maritz, Executive Director at the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration (MHAISS); and Lieutenant General Joseph Shikongo, Inspector General of the Namibian Police Force (NAMPOL).

Also in attendance are senior officials from Namibia’s security cluster, reflecting the significance placed on regional cooperation in security and governance matters.