Sadc summit opens with urgent call for food aid

GABORONE - A top-level summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) opened in Botswana yesterday with leaders appealing to the international community for emergency food assistance.

"This summit is taking place at the time when most of the region is

facing a devastating drought," said Botswana's President Festus

Mogae as he opened the meeting of hundreds of delegates in

Gaborone.

"As a consequence, many of our countries require emergency food

assistance.

 

We appeal to the international community to provide assistance

that is commensurate with the scale of need," said Mogae, the

incoming chairman of SADC.

 

The Botswana leader urged the 14-nation-body, which is

celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, to speedily implement

development goals.

 

"There are many challenges to which we must respond if we are to

improve the human condition and create better standards of living

for our people," Mogae said.

 

"In carrying out our mandate as the leadership of SADC, we must

do so in a manner that will give hope to our people and support

them to overcome adversity," he added.

 

The implementation of so-called Millennium Development Goals to

eliminate poverty, which include creating a free trade area by 2008

and a regional central bank by 2018, will come under scrutiny at

the two-day heads of state summit.

 

"We must be prudent and diligent in the preparation of our plans

and ensure that our policies are not only people centred by are

also responsive to the needs of our populations, who have waited

patiently for us to deliver," Mogae said.

 

The regional bloc will also discuss a common migration policy,

the African stand-by force and gender equality in SADC.

 

Other topics on the agenda include a common position on seats

for African countries in the UN Security Council and an application

from Rwanda to become a SADC member.

 

-Nampa-AFP

 

"As a consequence, many of our countries require emergency food

assistance.We appeal to the international community to provide

assistance that is commensurate with the scale of need," said

Mogae, the incoming chairman of SADC.The Botswana leader urged the

14-nation-body, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this

year, to speedily implement development goals."There are many

challenges to which we must respond if we are to improve the human

condition and create better standards of living for our people,"

Mogae said."In carrying out our mandate as the leadership of SADC,

we must do so in a manner that will give hope to our people and

support them to overcome adversity," he added.The implementation of

so-called Millennium Development Goals to eliminate poverty, which

include creating a free trade area by 2008 and a regional central

bank by 2018, will come under scrutiny at the two-day heads of

state summit."We must be prudent and diligent in the preparation of

our plans and ensure that our policies are not only people centred

by are also responsive to the needs of our populations, who have

waited patiently for us to deliver," Mogae said.The regional bloc

will also discuss a common migration policy, the African stand-by

force and gender equality in SADC.Other topics on the agenda

include a common position on seats for African countries in the UN

Security Council and an application from Rwanda to become a SADC

member.-Nampa-AFP

---