OWN CORRESPONDENT, Luanda | Wednesday 7.30pm.
ANY threat to a member of the 14-nation Southern African Development Community will justify military intervention by other members, a meeting of defence chiefs has decided in Luanda.
The meeting, attended by armed forces chiefs of staff of 10 SADC countries, was chaired by the Zambian representative, Solomon Mumbi, who declared that that if such intervention took place in some countries, he saw no reason why it should not occur in others. He was alluding to both the intervention in the Democratic Republic of Congo by Angola, Namibia and Zimbabwe, and in Lesotho by South Africa and Botswana.
He said the defence chiefs had drawn up a series of recommendations for submission to SADC heads of state to ensure better regional security, but would not disclose what they were.
Wednesday’s pro-government press in Luanda stated that the government could, under those circumstances, call on fellow SADC members to help it against rebel troops loyal to outlawed Unita leader Jonas Savimbi.
At the meeting there were calls for increased support for DRC President Laurent Kabila, who is fighting a rebellion in the east of the country. Angola’s defence minister, General Pedro Sebastio, said on Tuesday that, in accordance with decisions taken at the SADC summit in Mauritius earlier his month, reinforcements would be added to the foreign SADC troops already in the DRC.
Meanwhile the head of South African military intelligence, General Mojo Motau, who is attending the Luanda meeting, has denied suggesting South Africa is ready to send troops into the DRC. Spoksewoman Adri Cronje said Motau had in fact said nothing “either way” about South African intervention in the conflict, and planned to issue a formal denial.
Motau told reporters on Tuesday that he recognised the “responsibility” of the 14 SADC countries’ armed forces to secure the region. “We are ready to make our contribution,” he was quoted as saying. A spokesman for the defence ministry said he was trying to contact Motau about the statement and the context in which it was made.