Security Intergration in the SADC Region

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is one of the most descriptive examples when it comes to security integration in Africa, as result of its origin, established on the necessity these countries had to withstand apartheid regime in South Africa. As the regional group aspires to promote political and economical independence, durable peace and security and poverty eradication, peace and security integration are considered as the necessary preconditions for regional development because instability in one member state could have negative impact on the neighboring countries and become a stumbling block in the regional integration. The main objective of this research article is to authenticate the existence of a security community in Southern Africa, centered in SADC. Using the theory of security communities and theories of integration, this article will analyze the historical security cooperation between the countries in the region, as the first step of regional integration in Southern Africa, that is the restraining of the apartheid regime in South Africa. The analysis will further focus creation and modifications of the Organ on Politics, Defense and Security (OPDS) and its institutional relation with the SADC. Regarding this, the SADC and the OPDS are featured as the main platforms for managing security issues in the SADC region.