Lesotho crisis presents opportunity for SADC :: Mmegi Online

Peacekeeping troops from the SADC region have started arriving in Lesotho to restore order and stability in the crisis prone small mountainous country. So far Angola, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland have contributed troops to support the SADC standby force on what seems like a possible solution to the melting pot that has become this country.

The decision to engage SADC troops was taken at the Heads of State Summit held in Pretoria in September. Prior to this year’s summit, there have been other attempts to bring stability in member states that were undergoing challenges but with no success. One such county is the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is in turmoil for the simple reason that President Joseph Kabila has refused to step down at the end of his two terms and has on many occasions postponed elections.

For two years now, Kabila has ignored pressure from the international community to call elections as prescribed in the country’s constitution. Many Congolese have had to pay with their lives to realise the dream of holding elections post Kabila era. SADC has not been helpful either and the regional Heads of State have failed to look Kabila in the eye and tell him his time was over.

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