The Southern African Development Community has instructed its security committee to explore measures to protect regional trade routes and energy corridors that have been disrupted by the unrest in Mozambique.
The protests that flared up after the disputed October elections have led to hundreds of deaths and disrupted vital trade routes and energy exports to neighbouring countries.
SADC leaders held an Extraordinary Summit of the Organ Troika to discuss the post-election violence in Mozambique on Sunday.
“The summit directed the Inter-state Defence and Security Committee to propose measures to protect the regional trade routes, humanitarian corridors, and energy supplies while finding solutions to the political and security challenges in the Republic of Mozambique,” SADC said in a statement this week.
This comes after Mozambique business leaders met with President Filipe Nyusi to ask for escorts to protect key trade routes such as the Beira corridor to Zimbabwe in December.
South Africa temporarily closed the Lebombo port of entry in November and, according to the Road Freight Association, the disruptions at ports of entry cost South Africa R10 million a day.
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan chaired the meeting on Sunday, which was attended by Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema and Malawi’s Lazarus Chakwera, as well as the other troika members. Nyusi was also present at the virtual meeting.
Hichilema told the meeting that the conflict “is not only affecting the people of Mozambique but also hindering regional trade in critical sectors like energy and transport”.
Venancio Mondlane, the opposition candidate, has disputed the election, in which ruling Frelimo was declared the winner.
He has been directing protests from Europe via social media but intends to return to Mozambique on Thursday where he says he will be inaugurated as the “legitimate leader” on 15 January.
According to the United Nations Refugee Agency more than 2 000 refugees have fled Mozambique to Malawi and 1 000 people have fled to Eswatini since the protests broke out.
