KAMPALA, UGANDA (5^th June, 2020): The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) successfully concluded the Uganda National Consultation on the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden in Kampala, Uganda, which was held on 4^th and 5^th of June, 2020.

March 14, 2020 - Khartoum, Sudan - The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Security Sector Program (SSP) successfully conducted a five days national training workshop in Khartoum, with high level officials of the Sudan Government to contribute to the development of security & justice sector policy framework. The training is conducted with the financial support from the European Union Trust Fund (EUTF) through the IPPSHAR Program that is being implemented by IGAD SSP and the Austrian Development Agency (ADA).

The workshop was officially opened by H.E. Amb. Hamza Elamin Ahmed, Ambassador of Sudan to Djibouti/chairperson of the IGAD Committee of Ambassadors. In his opening remarks, Amb. Hamza expressed his appreciations to IGAD SSP for this important and key initiative; which was timely responding to the government goal line to the enhancement of institutional capacities in updating the national Security & Justice Sector Reform (SJSR) policy framework. H.E. Amb. Hamza encouraged all experts, national players, interlocutors, and influence makers from different departments and agencies concerned about security and the security sector reform to foster an exchange among justice and security actors around the future of the security sector in Sudan; and freely present their ideas and interact among each other.

During the five days the training workshop covered the key issues of the security sector such as governance, democratic oversight, role of non-state actors, traditional and customary institutions, justice delivery, the concept of ‘hybridity and hybrid security governance’, SSR and gender, national security policy (NSP) and strategy formulation. The training also discussed approaches and requirements for an NSP process and backgrounder to national security strategies as well as identified experiences and lessons learned in Africa.

The training workshop also provided a platform for national and regional technical experts to jointly reflect on their priority areas identified in their National Security Policies and to further compare with the African Union and IGAD Peace and Security Policy Frameworks that have been formulated.  Hence, it explored ways through which IGAD, AU and UN can exercise their complementary roles and responsibilities to assist Sudan in the implementation of SSR strategies and initiatives.

The training was believed to be also an opportunity to raise awareness of lessons and experiences from previous transitions to civilian-led security sector governance; besides to forge constructive dialogue, interaction, networking, and partnership between Sudan’s relevant institutions, IGAD, AU and UN agencies, in order to stimulate their collective thinking and perspectives as well as widening their ability to promising transition from peace-making to peace-building after the recent peaceful political changes in the country.

The training workshop has been organized around five sessions, which arranged and circulated in advance. The thematic and programmatic areas include SSR concepts; regional approaches; cross-cutting issues; governance mechanisms and policy development.

The participants were from the Ministries of Justice, Defense, Interior, Labour and Social Welfare, the Attorney General Office, Police Force, National Intelligence Service, National DDR Commission and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The training was officially closed with the closing session whereby the representative of Sudan Ministry of Foreign Affairs has thanked IGAD SSP for a job well done and he provided some key suggestions and recommendations on the way forward in formulating and updating the national SSR policy framework. Furthermore, the representative of participants precisely identified key processes that are relevant in the transformation of Sudan’s security sector as it embarks on SJSR. They highlighted some capacity building needs in addition to awareness packages which should promote the ratification of IGAD Mutual Legal assistance and Extradition treaty.  At the end, participants received certificates acknowledging the successful participation of this timely training.

 Background

• The training was a follow up to the first IGAD SSR meeting held in September 2017 in Khartoum, Sudan. Accordingly, in this training workshop, the progress was reported on the development of the national policies to support initiatives to develop SSR strategies and plans for implementation at national level.  In additional, it leverages on their strengths and opportunities in improving the rule of law and security in relation to the implementation of the National Security Architecture (NSA) and to identify possible gaps.
• The IGAD Security Sector Program (IGAD SSP) is a comprehensive regional program of IGAD, with a mandate that focuses on supporting Member States both operationally and in capacity building to combat regional and international terrorism activities; to enhance the capacity of states to deal with maritime security threats; to contain the intensity and impact of transnational organized crime; and to strengthen the capacity of security institutions.
• The concept of SSR is a crosscutting issue across the areas of operation of IGAD SSP, which is intended to ultimately enhance the capacity of states in their provision of security with respect to the rule of law principles to empower regional coordination.
• IGAD follows the UN Approach to the Rule of Law and SSR Assistance “...the rule of law is a principle of governance in which all persons, institutions and entities, public and private, including the State itself, are accountable to laws.
• As part of IGAD SSP mandate support Member States in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2151 of 2014 on SSR which reiterates the “importance of coordination/collaboration between the different actors involved in supporting security sector reforms”, while recognizing the primacy of national ownership.

Towards a Common Position on increased inclusion, participation and representation in Peace Processes and Peacebuilding

March 15, 2020 (Juba, South Sudan); Within its mandate of providing mediation support and building the normative capacity of Member States, IGAD Mediation Support Unit has convened youth and young people from Nuba Mountains, Funj, and Blue Nile Region with the objective of enhancing their mediation and negotiation skills.

This training for the youth and young people living in zones controlled mainly by SPLM-N and/or SPLM/A-N comes at a time when the Sudan Transitional Government has initiated peace talks with several parties. It is recalled that negotiations on the Two Regions (South Kordofan/Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile) have almost been completed and details related to economic issues, the return of displaced within the state, and the states’ share of the national revenues are yet to be agreed on.

The training workshop is expected to equip the youth and young people with mediation and negotiation skills in a bid to acquire skills and competence as well as increase their participation in peace processes and the on-going negotiations.

The workshop is conducted with the financial support of the Kingdom of Denmark.   

March 7, 2020 (Bishoftu, Ethiopia) The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Security Sector Program (SSP) successfully conducted a five days national training workshop in Ethiopia’s city of Bishoftu, with high level officials of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to contribute to the enhancement of institutional capacities in formulating and updating the national Security Sector Reform (SSR) Policy Framework. The training is conducted with the financial support from the European Union Trust Fund (EUTF) through the IPPSHAR Programme that is being implemented by IGAD SSP and the Austrian Development Agency (ADA).

The training was officiated by H.E. Tesfahun Gobezay Kinfie, State Minister and National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister of Ethiopia; Ms. Jocelyne Nahimana, the Senior SSR Officer of African Union (AU) and Mr. Daoud Alwan the Head of Counter Terrorism Pillar of IGAD SSP.  

In his opening remarks, H.E. Tesfahun stressed the need to assess and review the existing related national security policies (NSP) and Strategies; as well as respectively evaluating the implementation and key possible gaps.

The training was a follow up to the first IGAD SSR meeting held in September 2017 in Khartoum, Sudan. Accordingly, in this training workshop, the progress was reported on the development of the national policies to support initiatives to develop SSR strategies and plans for implementation at national level.  In additional, it leverages on their strengths and opportunities in improving the rule of law and security in relation to the implementation of the National Security Architecture (NSA) and to identify possible gaps.

The training also provided a platform for national and regional technical experts to jointly reflect on their priority areas identified in their National Security Policies and to further compare with the African Union and IGAD Peace and Security Policy Frameworks that have been formulated.  Hence, it explored ways through which IGAD, AU and UN can exercise their complementary roles and responsibilities to assist Ethiopia in the implementation of SSR strategies and initiatives.

The training was believed to be an opportunity to forge constructive dialogue, interaction, networking, and partnership between Ethiopian’s relevant institutions, IGAD, AU, African Security Sector Network (ASSN), DCAF’s International Security Sector Advisory Team (ISSAT) and Sub-Saharan Africa Division, in order to stimulate their collective thinking and perspectives besides widen their ability to the ongoing promising transition after the recently peaceful political changes in the IGAD region.

The participants were from the Parliament, Ministries of Justice, Peace and Defense, the Attorney General Office, Federal Police Force, NISS, INSA, Prison Administration and offices of the Prime Minister and National Security.

The training was officially closed by Commander Abebe Muluneh, Director of IGAD-SSP, where he thanked the Ethiopian Government for hosting this important training and appreciated the active participation by the delegates. Furthermore he uploaded the suggestions and recommendations by the participants on the on-going steps in formulating and updating the national SSR policy framework.  The participants received certificates acknowledging the successful participation of this timely training.

 Background

• The IGAD Security Sector Program (IGAD SSP) is a comprehensive regional program of IGAD, with a mandate that focuses on supporting Member States both operationally and in capacity building to combat regional and international terrorism activities; to enhance the capacity of states to deal with maritime security threats; to contain the intensity and impact of transnational organized crime; and to strengthen the capacity of security institutions.
• The concept of SSR is a crosscutting issue across the areas of operation of IGAD SSP, which is intended to ultimately enhance the capacity of states in their provision of security with respect to the rule of law principles to empower regional coordination.
• IGAD follows the UN Approach to the Rule of Law and SSR Assistance “...the rule of law is a principle of governance in which all persons, institutions and entities, public and private, including the State itself, are accountable to laws.
• As part of IGAD SSP mandate support Member States in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2151 of 2014 on SSR which reiterates the “importance of coordination/collaboration between the different actors involved in supporting security sector reforms”, while recognizing the primacy of national ownership.