Kalaba calls on SADC to intervene in Mozambique political conflict

By NATION REPORTER

HARRY Kalaba has called on the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) to quickly intervene in the violence and subsequent deaths that have occurred in Mozambique following a disputed election.
Mr Kalaba, the leader of the Citizens First (CF) party says he is gravely concerned with the political violence in Mozambque that has since escalated as a result of the disputed election result in that country.
Mr Kalaba, a former Minister of Foreign Affairs has called for the immediate intervention by the leaders of the SADC regional grouping before more lives could be lost. He cautioned that regional conflicts had the ability of spilling over into neighbouring countries once left unattended to.
“My appeal is that Zambia under President Hakainde Hichilema and other SADC leaders must urgently convene and find a quick solution to end the deaths and post election protests in Mozambique before this becomes a regional conflict,” Mr Kalaba said. (To page 3)
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He said it was unacceptable that about 150 people had died in the violence that erupted three months ago after elections were disputed by self-exiled opposition leader Venancio Mondlane who refused to concede defeat to ruling the FRELIMO candidate Daniel Chapo.
“This calls for regional intervention by not just Zambia as a neighbour but SADC and AU before this turns into a regional humanitarian catastrophe that has the potential of spilling into Zambia,” Mr Kalaba said.
Mozambique borders Zambia’s Eastern Province and during that country’s civil war, rebels would invade some parts of Luangwa.
Mr Kalaba said it was worrying that 1, 500 prisoners were roaming the streets of the capital, Maputo after a mass jail break, which was proof that the situation had worsened in a country that had been at peace since 1975 when FRELIMO assumed power.
“As regional leaders, we must plug the Mozambique protests so that we don’t have another Sudan and Somalia where millions have been displaced from homes, hundreds have died and millions are starving,” he said.
Mr Kalaba said his party’s desire was to see that the region, and not only Zambia, was conflict free as 2025 begin to grow regional economies.
“Zambia as a crucial member of SADC, must play a leading role in ending the conflict in Mozambique and elsewhere in Africa. We must show leadership and not stand on the fence,” he said.