SADC reiterates support for Madagascar over disputed islands with France

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) reiterated its support for Madagascar in the ongoing dispute over islands with France. 

The European country maintains possession of island nation, which according to SADC, violates resolutions of the UN General Assembly and the African Union.

The regional organization's council of ministers meeting ended last Saturday and also discussed the strategic plan to fight corruption and terrorism financing

"The fight against terrorism is a fight that must be comprehensive in terms of the means used, because terrorism uses sophisticated means, but also financing, and corruption itself must also be attacked so that we do not reinforce this evil that is gnawing the region and that worries us a lot," Téte António,  Angola's  Foreign Affairs Minister told Euronews.

The pandemic situation in the region was also under discussion. The adoption of standards for the harmonization of cross-border transport during the pandemic was recommended by the council of ministers. Most member states do not comply with these standards, which has negatively impacted the recovery process of their economies.

"What was discussed here is the sharing of data fairly, so the concatenation of the work of laboratories to ascertain the veracity of the results that laboratories end up issuing facilitating the movement of people and goods,"  Franco Mufinda, Angola's Secretary of State for Public Health told Euronews.

Mozambique, which currently chairs the Council of Ministers, saw its request to host the SADC Humanitarian and Emergency Operations Center also approved

SADC member states also expressed support for Mozambique's candidacy to be a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2023-2024 mandate.