Harare, (New Ziana) – The Southern African Development Community (SADC) region and Africa at large should scale up multi-pronged strategies to “Silence the Guns” on the continent, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said on Friday.
He made the remarks whilst officiating at the graduation ceremony of the joint command and staff course number 37 at the Zimbabwe staff college in the capital. President Mnangagwa who is also the Commander-In-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) said the astronomical cost of wars and conflicts deprive the people of the much needed development and prosperity in Africa.
“May I once again emphasise that Africa and our SADC region should scale up multi-pronged strategies to “Silence The Guns” on our continent. The astronomical cost of wars and conflicts deprive our people, of the much needed development and prosperity. “The SADC Mutual Defence Pact as well as the United Nation’s Charter enjoin States to pursue the settlement of international disputes by peaceful means,” said President Mnangagwa.
He said it is therefore imperative that due attention be given to equip officers with the essential know-how to promote the peaceful settlement of disputes through negotiation, conciliation, mediation or arbitration, for the benefit of the people. President Mnangagwa said in light of the growing negative impact of climate change, it is critically important that the relevant members of our defence forces constantly enhance capabilities around disaster management, adding that the efficient and timely co-ordination of both internal and regional humanitarian assistance in the aftermath of natural disasters, should also be improved. Security and defence infrastructure, he said, is of strategic and fundamental importance, in the maintenance of national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“It is equally integral in advancing sustainable economic and social development, not only in our beloved motherland, Zimbabwe, but within the SADC region and African Continent as a whole,” he said. He deplored the broader security environment in the region which is characterised by armed conflicts, terrorism as well as the proliferation and illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons. He also expressed concern over the increase in organised, transnational crime; drug trafficking; money laundering and human trafficking on the continent.
Technology advancements, said President Mnangagwa, have resulted in greater discoveries of additional rich natural resources within Zimbabwe and on the continent, but regrettably this has entailed greater interests from those who would want to rob them by seeking to manipulate, coerce, infiltrate and even over-throw governments. “All these, among many others, call for defence and security training, skills and manpower development that speak to the challenges of this contemporary and diverse security environment.
“Additionally, there are various forms of asymmetrical warfare, undue interference in the internal affairs of our countries, monopolisation and manipulation of the global media space,” he said.
He challenged members of the defence forces of Zimbabwe, SADC and Africa, to continually enhance their capacity to prevent the subversion of their respective and collective constitutional order and national sovereignty. The course saw 71 senior security officers from 11 African countries, among them Botswana, Eswathini, Tanzania, Lesotho, South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, Nigeria, Zambia, Malawi and Zimbabwe graduating.
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