Malawi and Mozambique have agreed to conduct joint military exercises and patrol operations. This initiative, which aims to address cross-border drug and human trafficking, has been celebrated by civil society groups as a significant advancement.
Monica Ching’anamuno, the Minister of Defence for Malawi, and her counterpart from Mozambique, Cristovao Chume, formalised the agreement on Thursday in Maputo, Mozambique’s capital, during the 16th session of the Mozambique-Malawi Permanent Joint Commission on Defence and Security (CCPDS).
This plan has received endorsement from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) as a comprehensive approach to enhance defence and security in Southern Africa and tackle cross-border crime.
At the signing event, both nations pointed to poverty and economic desperation as key factors contributing to the increase in human trafficking within their borders.
“This agreement will therefore ensure that both countries are able to fight human trafficking and other crimes with tenacity using existing pieces of legislation,” said Ching’anamuno.
Rodrick Mulonya, chair of the Malawi Network Against Trafficking in Persons, said that despite ongoing efforts to combat this issue in the country, the situation has escalated to “alarming levels.”
“This agreement is therefore a giant leap in the fight against human trafficking. But there is a need for concerted efforts for us to win the fight. There is a need for closer collaboration between these two countries and indeed among all other countries in the SADC region for this fight to be won.” he said.
