7 November 2021 (Adama, Ethiopia): The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Peace and Security Division concluded three days capacity building training on media reporting in conflict situations. The objective of the training was to enhance the knowledge and skills of media experts in conflict analysis and peace journalism in order to contribute to a more positive and constructive role of the media in peace building in the region. Officials from media regulating institutions and media practitioners of state and private medias from IGAD member states participated in the training workshop.  

October 15, 2021 (BISHOTU, ETHIOPIA): The IGAD Security Sector Program (IGAD SSP) has successfully concluded a five-day national workshop on Integrated Border Management for the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. The purpose of the workshop was to enhance the capacity of senior government officials in border security and management and promote inter-agency, intra-agency and regional as well as international coordination and cooperation to effectively prevent and interdict the entry or transit of suspected terrorists, foreign terrorist fighters and such other transnational criminals.

Participants included thirty-three senior officials represented by the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS), Information Network Security Agency (INSA), Immigration, National and Vital Events Agency (INVEA), Federal Police, Customs Authority and Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority.

The workshop was faciliated by local experts and partitioners, and in collaboration with United Nations Office of Counter Terrorism (UNOCT) - Border Security and Management (BSM) Unit, CT-Travel Section, and the UN Office of Information and Communications Technology (OICT). The following are some of topics covered during the event:

• Concepts on border management and border security management (BSM) in African context
• Transnational security threats and BSM in the context of the IGAD region
• The role of border communities in BSM
• Good Practices on the Use of Technologies to Prevent and Counter Terrorism at Borders: biometrics and terrorist watchlists
• The responsible use of biometrics in national ID in the context of border security
• One-Stop Border Post (OSBP) concept – the case of Ethiopia-Kenya experience
• Overview of Passenger Data (API and PNR); Challenges to Implementation; Support provided by the CT Travel Programme
• Overview of Passenger Data (API and PNR); Challenges to Implementation; Support provided by the CT Travel Programme

Opening and closing remarks were delivered by Commander Abebe Muluneh, Director of IGAD Security Sector Program. The director noted that “. . . border communities in the IGAD region may not differ much from one country to another with each other than with the nations to which they belong.” Hence, he urged IGAD Member States, including Ethiopia, to empower border communities as key actors towards effective border management and promote inter and intra-agency, as well as regional and international coordination and collaboration.

One of the objectives of the IGAD Security Sector Program is enhancing institutional and human capacities of Member States to effectively address emerging, evolving, and existing transnational security threats (EEE-TSTs) in order to contribute to regional peace and stability, and foster enabling environment for regional integration and development of the sub-region.

The training was conducted with the financial support of the Republic of Korea.

7^th October, 2021(Khartoum, Sudan): Dr Amal Almahi (CVO)/ Undersecretary, MoAR officially opened the one-day physical workshop. She thanked the IGAD/ICPALD, AU-IBAR and FAO for supporting the development of the strategy and facilitating the workshop to validate the draft SPS strategy and action plan. She invited the participants to pay attention to contents of the strategy, critic and enrich it so that it can be used to uplift the agriculture sector in the country. She congratulated the national and the international consultants for their commitment towards the development of the draft strategy and hoped that once ratified, the strategy will guide the transformation of the agriculture sector in Sudan. Forty-Three (43) participants drawn from the Ministries of Animal Resources, Agriculture, Human Health, Trade, EU, FAO, IFAD, and IGAD participated. The meeting made the following recommendations:

• Comments and suggestions from workshop participants should be integrated into the SPS strategy by the consultant to form the final version,
• Sudan should mainstream domesticated SPS strategy and action plan into national programmes to facilitate its implementation,
• IGAD together with the Republic of Sudan should mobilize resources of the national government and donors to facilitate implementation of the strategy.

ICPALD expresses its appreciation to AU-IBAR for financial support that facilitated development of the strategy and FAO for financing the validation process.

3 October 2021, Adama, Ethiopia - The IGAD Security Sector Program (IGAD SSP) successfully conducted a five days national training on “The Role of Technology and Social Media Platforms as Recruitment Tools for Terrorist Networks and the Challenges for Security Institutions” held on 28 September – 02 October 2021 in Adama, Ethiopia. 

7 OCTOBER 2021 (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.