The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is to send a team of technical experts to assess the threat piracy poses to Seychelles’ economy and maritime security, Vice-President Danny Faure said yesterday.

He was giving an interview at State House following his return from the 30th SADC heads of state and government summit held in Windhoek, Namibia, from August 16-17.

Mr Faure said the summit took note of the threat of piracy in the coastal waters of member states, especially Seychelles, Mauritius, Kenya and Tanzania. The meeting mandated the SADC to send a team to analyse in the field the negative effect and impact of piracy on our economy, after which it will take appropriate measures.

“This is a good development for Seychelles, it is proof of our achievements at this level,” he added.

In relation to economic integration among SADC countries, the summit agreed that a group of experts will work with all the countries to help them prepare a proper framework as they must indicate their position in relation to a customs union for the region, Mr Faure said.

Countries of the region, like other countries, have been affected by the recent world economic crisis, and the summit decided that the time has come for the SADC not only to assess the impact on regional economies but also to see how they can prepare themselves better for the future.

An extraordinary summit on the subject will be organised to assess these issues and establish how member countries can continue to sustain their economies.

Mr Faure described the summit – where the issue of climate change was also high on the agenda – as a very good one.

The political situations in neighbouring Madagascar and Zimbabwe were also among the leading topics for discussion.

The summit agreed that the SADC, the African Union (AU) and the wider international community should lend their political, technical, material and financial support to the dialogue in Madagascar.

SADC mediator Joachim Chissano will continue to follow the situation closely, giving his help to the Malagasy people as appropriate and reporting regularly to the SADC and AU on developments there.

The summit also agreed that an SADC liaison office should be set up in Madagascar to support the dialogue process, and that sanctions against the country should be maintained until it returns to constitutional normality.

On the situation in Zimbabwe, the summit repeated its call to the international community to lift all forms of sanction imposed on the country and the SADC region in general.

The summit, which saw President Hifikepunye Pohamba of Namibia take over the SADC chairmanship from President Joseph Kabila of DR Congo, also reaffirmed that it will continue to uphold the hopes of the SADC founders to ensure the community maintains peace, prosperity, stability and sustainable development for the people of the region.

Mr Faure said a highlight came when a Seychellois radio journalist, Anna Ah-Wan, was awarded a prize for a programme she entered in a competition held to coincide with the summit. (Seychelles Nation will come back on this award in a more detailed article in its next issue).

The prize was received on her behalf by principal secretary for foreign affairs Maurice Loustau-Lalanne, who was part of the Seychelles delegation at the summit.

Mr Faure said it was a great honour for Seychelles, showing we are committed to the organisation and to taking part in activities it organises.

 

Forrás: http://www.nation.sc/