WEDNESDAY, 1.00PM
NAMIBIAN President Sam Nujoma, who hosted Congo-Kinshasa President Laurent Kabila this week, wants the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to admit the Democratic Republic of Congo to its ranks.
Nujoma has repeatedly advocated a scheme for a pipeline to tap the Congo river for water to feed dry Southern African countries including Namibia. Nujoma is likely to put the Congo’s membership on the agenda for the next SADC summit, in September, as a first step towards his pipeline dream.
Kabila confirmed that he had discussed with Nujoma the possibility of piping water from the Congo river to Namibia. “It is possible, it can be achieved. You need water and there is plenty of water in the Congo river going to the ocean.”
No other SADC leaders have responded to the suggestion yet, but there is some caution that the Abuja Treaty limits the size of regional economic blocs.