IGAD PSD ORGANIZED REGIONAL EXPERIENCE SHARING WORKSHOP ON POST CONFLICT PEACE BUILDING

(Adama, Ethiopia): The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Peace and Security Division concluded three days regional experience sharing workshop on Post conflict Peace Building. The objective of the workshop was to share experiences among member states on post conflict peace building and update the IGAD Post Conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD) Policy Framework. Senior Officials and Experts from member States’ peace and security related institutions, AUC representative and officers from IGAD Peace and Security programs presented in the experience sharing workshop.

Hon. Siraj Fegessa, Director of IGAD Peace and Security Division (PSD), in his opening remarks highlighted that “the vicious circle of the conflicts in our Region could not be explained more than the challenges posed on the countries undergoing through the internal conflicts with a risk of spillover effects to their neighbors”.

The main agenda of the workshop was presentation of IGAD Member States’ PCRD Policy / Strategy, presentation of AU PCRD Policy Framework, presentation of IGAD PCRD Policy Framework, identification of best practices, lesson learned and priority areas to update the existing IGAD PCRD Policy Framework.

Intra-and inter-state level threats are challenges to interventions in post conflict situations in the region. The threats are interlinked and comprise various human insecurity concerns such as poverty, human and drug trafficking, terrorism, corruption and nepotism of public institutions and personnel, recurring disasters, illicit use of small arms and light arms, persistence of conflicts and mistrust, among others. The resulting social problems relating to unemployment, crimes, marginalization, redistributive justice and the other external vulnerabilities further worsen and complicate any programmatic initiative to ameliorate them.

The IGAD Peace and Security division has developed the IGAD Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD) Policy Framework. The main objective of the framework is to support countries emerging out of such conflicts or in a conflict situation in their efforts towards re-building. These include managing disputes, preventing escalations, avoiding relapse into violence, and addressing the root causes of conflict with efforts to consolidate sustainable peace, security, and development.

The experience sharing workshop was supported by the EU through the Africa Peace and Security Architecture (APSA).

Source: IGAD