Final Communiqué of the Double Troika Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government OR Tambo Building, Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) Pretoria, South Africa
The Double Troika Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) was held at OR Tambo Building, Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) in Pretoria, in the Republic of South Africa on 15th September 2017.
2. The Double Troika Summit was attended by the following Double Troika Heads of State and Government or their representatives:
South Africa: H.E. President Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma
Swaziland: H.M. King Mswati III
Namibia: Rt. Hon. Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, Prime Minister
Angola: H.E. Hon. Georges Rebelo Chikoti, Minister of External Relations and Special Envoy
Zambia: Hon. Davis Chama (MP), Minister of Defence
United Republic of Tanzania: H. E Sylvester. M Ambokile, High Commissioner of the United Republic of Tanzania to the Republic of South Africa
3. The Right Honourable Dr. Motsoahae Thomas Thabane Prime Minister of Kingdom of Lesotho was also invited. The Double Troika Summit was also attended by the SADC Facilitator to the Kingdom of Lesotho, Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, H.E Cyril Ramaphosa and the Executive Secretary of SADC, H.E. Dr. Stergomena Lawrence Tax.
4. Summit was convened following the assassination of Lieutenant General (Lt Gen) Khoantle Motšomotšo, Commander of the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) on 5th September 2017. Upon the assassination, the Chairperson of the Organ on Politics Defence and Security Cooperation, His Excellency José Eduardo dos Santos, President of the Republic of Angola, immediately sent a Ministerial Fact Finding Mission to the Kingdom of Lesotho to assess the circumstances surrounding the assassination of Lt Gen Motšomotšo.
5. Summit strongly condemned the brutal assassination of Lt Gen Motšomotšo, and expressed condolences to the family of the late LDF Commander, Government and people of the Kingdom of Lesotho for the assassination of Lt Gen Motšomotšo and urged the Kingdom to expedite investigations into the assassinations of Brig Mahao and Lt. Gen Motšomotšo, the Chief of the LDF.
6. Summit received a report of the Ministerial Fact Finding Mission and noted the volatile security situation and its implications for the political stability of the Kingdom of Lesotho. Summit also noted an urgent need to assist the Kingdom of Lesotho in restoring law and order, and a peaceful environment conducive to among others, the implementation of SADC decisions specifically, Security Sector and Constitutional Reforms, as well as the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry.
7. Summit approved the deployment of a Contingent Force comprising military, security, intelligence and civilian experts to support the Government of the Kingdom of Lesotho, and directed the Chiefs of Defence and Security to assess the requirements, determine the appropriate size of the Contingent Force, and to prepare the modalities for the deployment.
8. Maintained the terms of reference and composition of the Oversight Committee as approved by the 37th SADC Ordinary Summit.
9. In the interim, Summit approved an expanded mandate and composition of a total of 34 members of the Oversight Committee to include military, security, intelligence and civilian experts to be deployed to Lesotho immediately for a period of one month.
10. Summit commended the Government of Angola, the Chairperson of the Organ on Politics Defence and Security Cooperation, H.E José Eduardo Dos Santos for his prompt action, and generosity in facilitating the fact finding mission to the Kingdom of Lesotho.
11. Summit thanked the Chairperson of SADC, H.E. Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma, and President of the Republic of South Africa for hosting the Double Troika Summit and for the warm hospitality extended to all delegations.
Done at Pretoria, Republic of South Africa, 15th September 2017
