Professor of International Law, Hennie Strydom, says if there is a threat to peace and security within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region caused by the conflict in Mozambique, its neighbouring countries have the responsibility to act.
The SADC Troika Organ of Politics, Defence and Security is expected to meet next week to discuss the instability and insurgency in Northern Mozambique.
Dozens were killed last month including KwaZulu-Natal construction worker, Adrian Nel when insurgents attacked the coastal town of Palma.
The South African National Defence Force is in Mozambique to assist stranded South Africans and to also provide assistance to the country’s High Commission.
Ramaphosa on the Mozambique situation:
Strydom says international law affords neighbouring countries to act within the context of the threat posed.
“Well if there’s a threat to peace and security to any country or to a region the countries in that region have the responsibility and the duty to act and they can sort of put together a plan to deal with it collectively.
In order to protect borders and to patrol borders countries involved and affected by the insurgents because of the fact that they are so mobile you need a sort of collective effort in order to prevent them from jumping from one state to another and creating instability.
So when the countries act in this regard they act within international law provided of course that it is a proportional reaction to the threat they are facing.”
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