Hon. Thabane at AU Addis meeting

The Minister of Home Affairs and Public Safety, Mr. Motsoahae Thomas Thabane will on January 18 lead Lesotho's delegation to the African Union (AU) Meeting of Ministers of Defence and Security, to be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from January 20 to 21.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs, it will be preceded by a meeting of experts and Chiefs of Defence Staff from January 17 to 18 and will discuss  a common African defence and security policy, the establishment of an African Standby Force and, establishment of a military staff committee of the AU.

The Assembly of the AU has stressed the need for a common African Defence and Security Policy in the context of the Constitutive Act of the Union during the inaugural Summit of the AU in Durban, South African in July 2002.

Consultations will also be held at different levels within the regional organisations and at the AU level  to reach agreement on a Common African Defence and Security Policy and other related matters, which ensure peace and stability within the sub-Region and Africa as a whole, the statement said.

The delegation will include the principal Secretary foe defence and National Security, the Principal Secretary foe Home Affairs and Public Safety, the Commander of the Lesotho Defence Force, the Director General of the National Security Services, the Commissioner of Police, a military expert and a counsellor.

13 January 2004