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Communique on the double troika
Southern African Development Community (SADC)
January 14, 2010

Communique on Double Troika summit of heads of state and government of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) held in Maputo, Republic of Mozambique 14 January 2010

1. The Double Troika summit of heads of state and government of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) was held in Maputo, Republic of Mozambique, on 14 January 2010.

2. The summit was officially opened by the SADC Chairperson, His Excellency President Joseph Kabila Kabange of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

3. The summit was attended by the following heads of state and government:

Democratic Republic of Congo: His Excellency President Joseph Kabila Kabange
Mozambique: His Excellency President Armando Emilio Guebuza
Namibia: His Excellency President Hifikepunye Pohamba
South Africa: His Excellency President Jacob G Zuma
Zambia: His Excellency President Rupia Banda
Swaziland: Prime Minister Barnabas Dlamini
Lesotho: Honourable Lesao Lehohla, Deputy Prime Minister
Malawi: Honourable Professor Eta E Banda, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Tanzania: Honourable Ambassador Seif Ali Iddi, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
Zimbabwe: Honourable Simarashe Mumbengegwi, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Angola: Honourable Garcia Bires, Ambassador to Mozambique
Mauritius: His Excellency Mohamed I Dossa, Ambassador to South Africa

4. The summit was also attended by His Excellency Joaquim Alberto Chissano, former President of the Republic of Mozambique and the leader of SADC Joint Mediation Team on Madagascar (JMTM) and Dr Tomaz Augusto Salomão, SADC Executive Secretary.

5. In his opening remarks, the chairperson of SADC congratulated His Excellency President Armando Emilio Guebuza on his inauguration and reiterated SADC's commitment to finding lasting solution to the political and security challenges facing Lesotho, Madagascar and Zimbabwe.

6. His Excellency President Armando Emilio Guebuza welcomed the summit. In his welcoming remarks, he thanked all heads of state and members of delegations present for having accepted the invitation to the summit and wished them successful deliberations.

7. His Excellency President Armando Emilio Guebuza highlighted that the holding of the summit was yet another opportunity to review matters of common interest, namely: political and security situation in the region and reaffirmation of the SADC desire to contribute towards the strengthening of the African Union.

8. Summit reiterated the 2009 Kinshasa decision that, consistent with the established rotational principle of the African Union, Malawi remains the candidate for the chairperson of African Union and SADC members individually and collectively commits to support Malawi in the process.

9. Summit supported the initiatives of the Christian Council of Lesotho in resolving the post-2007 elections challenges in the country and urged the stakeholders to speedily resolve the matter.

10. Summit mandated the Troika summit of the Organ to visit Lesotho during the last week of January or the second week of February 2010 to engage with the stakeholders.

11. Summit further noted with appreciation the efforts of His Excellency Joaquim Chissano, former President of the Republic of Mozambique and the leader of Joint Mediation Team on Madagascar on his efforts towards restoring constitutional normalcy to Madagascar and urged all parties to desist from any unilateral action that may hinder the restoration of constitutional normalcy.

12. Summit expressed deep concern over the current stalemate in the negotiation process to return Madagascar to constitutional order.

13. Summit reiterated and maintained the suspension of Madagascar from all SADC organs, structures and institutions until the restoration of constitutional order in the country, and calls upon the African Union, United Nations and other international organisations and institutions to also apply the same measure.

14. Summit rejects any attempt to use democratic means, institutions and processes to legitimise governments that came to power through unconstitutional means, and urges the international community, in particular the development partners, to support SADC's efforts to promote and sustain democracy in the region in general and Madagascar in particular.

15. Summit also rejects the unilateral plan of the "de facto" government of Madagascar to "reorganise" the transition and hold legislative elections in March 2010, and urges the international community to also reject it.

16. Summit reiterates that the Maputo agreements of 8 to 9 August 2009 and the additional act of Addis Ababa of 6 November 2009 remain the only viable framework for a consensual, inclusive, neutral and transparent transition in Madagascar, and calls for the speedy implementation of these agreements to ensure Madagascar's return to constitutional normalcy.

17. Summit urges all Malagasy Mouvances to return immediately to dialogue and show the necessary political will, leadership, flexibility, humility and balance to make concessions and reach a compromise solution in the formation of a transitional government of national unity and other institutions of transitions, towards the restoration of constitutional normalcy in Madagascar.

18. Summit requests the SADC Mediator to continue with efforts towards restoration of constitutional order in Madagascar, through an inclusive, transparent and credible dialogue.

19. Summit urged all other regional economic communities to supports its initiatives in Madagascar.

20. Summit also noted with appreciation the efforts of SADC facilitator in assisting Zimbabwe to fully implement the global political agreement and urged the parties to implement decisions made.

21. Summit expressed its condolences to the Presidents and the people of Malawi and Democratic Republic of Congo for the loss of life and damage to property caused by the earthquake and volcanic eruptions respectively.

22. Summit noted the earthquake which has erupted in Haiti and expressed sympathy and condolences to the people and the government of Haiti and urged for more humanitarian assistance.

23. Summit further condemned the attacks on the Togo football team in the Cabinda in Angola and expressed sympathy and condolences to those affected.

24. Summit congratulated the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) and President Lieutenant General Seretse Khama Ian Khama for winning the October 2009 general elections.

25. Summit also congratulated Frelimo and His Excellency Armando Emilio Guebuza, Chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, and President of the Republic of Mozambique for winning the October 2009 general elections.

26. Summit congratulated South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO) party and President Hifikepunye Pohamba for winning the November 2009 National Assembly and Presidential elections.

27. Summit further congratulated the peoples and the governments of Angola and South Africa for hosting the Africa Cup of Nations and the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup respectively and wished them success.
28. Summit expressed gratitude to the people and the government of the Republic of Mozambique for the warm hospitality and working conditions provided.

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