LUANDA, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has given its approval for the rescoping of the SADC Standby Force Regional Logistics Depot in Rasesa village, located 64 km from Gaborone, the capital of Botswana, a senior official said on Thursday.

In an interview with Radio Botswana, Defence and Security Minister Kagiso Mmusi revealed that the government of Botswana has allocated land to SADC for housing the SADC Standby Force Regional Logistics Depot, underscoring its firm commitment to fostering peace and stability in the region.

Mmusi said that SADC has successfully raised a sum of 12.5 million U.S. dollars to initiate the inaugural phase of the Regional Logistics Depot, which aims to achieve partial operational readiness.

"The available funds will be utilized for erecting two warehouses and establishing essential infrastructure such as roads, sewer systems, and water and electricity networks," he said.

Mmusi emphasized that the depot's establishment will be pivotal in bolstering SADC's operational capabilities, particularly in the context of increased peacekeeping missions and humanitarian endeavors.

Headquartered in Gaborone, SADC is an intergovernmental organization comprising 16 member states. It is dedicated to socioeconomic cooperation and integration, as well as collaborative efforts in politics and security among the countries of southern Africa. ■