PREAMBLE We, the Heads of State or Government of: The Republic of Angola The Republic of Botswana The Democratic Republic of Congo The Kingdom of Lesotho The Republic of Madagascar The Republic of Malawi The Republic of Mauritius The Republic of Mozambique The Republic of Namibia The Republic of South Africa The Kingdom of Swaziland The United Republic of Tanzania The Republic of Zambia The Republic of Zimbabwe PURSUANT to the decision of the SADC Summit, held in Port Louis, Mauritius on 17 August 2004 and directives issued subsequent thereto; HAVING REGARD to the United Nations (UN) Charter, Article 4 of the Constitutive Act of the African Union (AU), as read with Article 13 of the Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union; the SADC Protocol on Politics, Defence and Security Co-operation; HAVING RESOLVED to unite our efforts towards collective self-defence and security and the preservation of peace and stability; HEREBY AGREE as follows: 3