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SADC Standby Force leads African Standby Force in 2019
From January to June 2019, SADC leads the African Standby Force (ASF), which is an
important tool of the African peace and security architecture for the prevention,
management and resolution of conflicts in the
continent. The ASF is a multidisciplinary
peacekeeping force which became fully operational in
2016, consisting of military, police and civilian
contingents deployed to respond swiftly to a crisis
unhampered by any heavy political and instrumental
burdens, and is based on standby arrangements among
the five sub-regions of Africa that rotate on a six-
monthly basis. The SADC Standby Force has been
involved in a number of military exercises in
preparation for its peacekeeping duties at continental
level, with the latest, Exercise Umodzi, hosted by
Malawi 1-17 October 2018.

Collective Response to Disasters
SADC Member States reacted swiftly in providing support to Malawi, Mozambique
and Zimbabwe after they were hit by Tropical Cyclone Idai on 14-15 March 2019 with
heavy rain and winds, storms, landslides and flooding. Almost 3 million people were
displaced and as many as 1,000 people died in one of the worst disasters to strike
76 southern Africa, leaving a trail of destruction and inhibiting access to healthcare, food,
welfare and communications in central Mozambique, southern Malawi and eastern
Zimbabwe. There was extensive damage to land and infrastructure for housing,
healthcare, education, water, agriculture, transport, industry, energy, ICT and tourism.
The storm wiped out roads, bridges and dams, and starkly revealed the need to invest
in climate-resilient infrastructure.
The development of the Regional Disaster Appeal was a collaborative effort of the
governments of the affected Member States and the SADC Secretariat through the
Emergency and Resilience Technical Working Group composed of a multi-sectoral team
working with national disaster management offices, UN agencies and non-government
organisations, and drawing physical and financial support from
neighbouring countries. This was a key milestone in disaster response,
documenting the resource needs and gaps, highlighting early recovery
actions, humanitarian and resilience efforts, and the process of drawing
lessons for better preparedness, response and coordination at national
and regional levels.
Cyclone Kenneth followed, making landfall in northern Mozambique
with hurricane-force winds and heavy rains just six weeks after Cyclone
Idai devastated a broad area further south. These are the strongest
cyclones on record for Africa and the Southern Hemisphere. The SADC
Secretariat and Member States are developing a strategy, the SADC Disaster Preparedness
and Response Strategy, to provide suitable response mechanisms and adequate resources
for the effective management of future disasters.

Solidarity with Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic
The SADC Solidarity Conference with the Saharawi Arab Democratic
Republic was hosted by the Republic of South Africa in Johannesburg on 25-
26 March 2019 to show support with the people of Western Sahara, as agreed
at the 37th Summit which said it is time for Saharawi to be free and
independent. Western Sahara is under Moroccan occupation despite several
declarations by regional, continental and international bodies including the
African Union and the United Nations.