CEWARN alongside the Embassy of the republic of Kenya in Ethiopia and Kenya Citizen’s Coalition (a non-governmental organization based in Nairobi) co-hosted a plenary discussion on national reconciliation efforts in Kenya following the 2007-2008 post-election violence in the country.

 The discussion that was held on 24 January 2015 in Addis Ababa also looked at the situation of Kenyan citizens that were internally displaced due to the post-election violence. The violence has claimed 1,300 lives with over 663, 921 citizens suffering internal displacement.

The event was held in the African Union premises on the sidelines of the African Union Summit which convened from 22-31 January 2015 with the theme “The Year of Women’s Empowerment and Development towards Africa’s Agenda 2063”.

Mr. Richard Barno, the Director of CEWARN joined Kenyan MPs, representatives of civil society organizations and elders as well as representatives of the African Union and other regional organizations who shared perspectives on the contribution the Kenyan government has made to reconciliation as well as resettlement and integration of IDPs.

Close to 5000 community members from adjoining regions of Kenya, South Sudan and Uganda gathered in Kotido district of Uganda from 18 – 21 December 2014 to commemorate the Moru Anayece Peace Accord.

The four-day Celebration hosted by the Kotido Peace Initiative (KOPEIN) was aimed at promoting a peaceful co-existence among the Ateker communities that consist of the culturally and linguistically closely knit Jie, Turkana, Karimojong, Iteso, Nyangatom and the Toposa. The Celebration held for the fifth time also served as reminder of the Moru Anayece Peace Agreement’s significance as a frame work for addressing issues related to peaceful co-existence among the pastoral communities in the area.

The occasion further availed an opportunity for advocating for support to the development of pastoral communities in the area as well as promoting trade and commerce among the Karamajong.

The literal meaning of Moru-Anayece is the hill of Nayece. Nayece is a woman from Jie, Uganda who is believed to have lived there 700 years ago and decreed that there should be no conflict between the Turkana and Jie.

Whenever a conflict among the two communities occurs,the culprits come to her gravesite (located in Oropoi Division of Turkana West Sub County) to perform a ceremony of forgiveness using locally recognized rituals. CEWARN provided support to the event and was represented by its Response Coordinator Mr. Yacob Chaka.

IGAD officials including Director of Agriculture and Environment Division Mr. Mohammed Moussa and CEWARN Response Coordinator Mr. Yacob Chaka participated at the 15th Ethiopian Pastoralists Day (EPD) that was held from 23- 25 January 2015 in Semera town of Ethiopia’s Afar Regional State.

 The Biennial celebrations are aimed at bringing together pastoral communities from Oromia, Somali, Afar and Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Regional States of Ethiopia to exchange ideas amongst each other and high-level government officials on emerging concerns related to pastoralist community development in Ethiopia.

The theme of the latest Ethiopian Pastoralists Day was: “Enhanced participation and benefit of pastoral communities for our renaissance” The celebration that was opened by a statement from the Ethiopian Prime Minister H.E. Hailemariam Dessalegn also included a field visit to integrated agro-pastoral development demonstrations sites in Afar region. EPD was first celebrated on January 25, 1999.

CEWARN’s national Conflict Early Warning and Response Unit (CEWERU) in Somalia and the national research institute, SOYDEN, facilitated the formation of a District Peace Committee (DPC) in Kismayo.

The Governor of Lower Jubba Administration, Mr. Abdirashid Ali Gooni who presided over the formation of the 19-Member DPC on 3 February 2015 welcomed the free and fair election of the committee members. He also stated that the DPC will contribute to the ongoing reconciliation process in the district that is facilitated by the Jubba land administration.

In addition, the governor acknowledged SOYDEN’s key contribution to the formation of the DPC. The election of members of the DPC was preceded by a three-day training workshop from 1-3 February 2015 for 110 participants representing different sectors of the community. A prior assessment work was also done in collaboration with SOYDEN including the identification of different community groups, local peace actors and local peace structures.

CEWARN Director Mr. Richard Barno held a meeting with the Director of the Addis Ababa-based Institute of Peace and Security Studies (IPSS) Mr, Kidane Kiros on January 23, 2015 in Ababa on an ongoing partnership between the two organisations to launch a desktop research on Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution (CPMR) in South Sudan.

 CEWARN and GIZ are partnering with IPSS to make the study widely available. The desktop research on CPMR in South Sudan is an action-oriented research activity initiated by IPSS in October 2011 in collaboration with the South Sudan Peace and Reconciliation Commission (SSPRC).

The desktop research is intended to inform future CPMR activities in South Sudan and is organized in five phases. The first phase of the study is targeted towards setting up a comprehensive conflict-mapping database on South Sudan that is user-friendly and accessible to the Government of South Sudan, researchersand other regional and continental partners.

The subsequent phases of the project include developing an inventory of ongoing CPMR activities; as well as the development of a framework that facilitates coordination and documentation of interventions as well as monitoring and evaluation.

The final phase of the research project focuses on developing paradigms, policies, and approaches for national CPMR intervention through documented lessons, which can also be replicated in other countries. The desktop research has now been finalized and is being published.

President of the Republic of South Sudan H.E. Salva Kiir and Former Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan and Leader of the SPLM/A (In Opposition) Dr. Riek Machar signed an Agreement to establish a Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU) by 9 July 2015.

The signing ceremony that was held on 2 February 2015 in Addis Ababa was witnessed by Prime Minister of Ethiopia and Chairperson of IGAD Assembly of Heads of State and Government H.E. Hailemariam Dessalegn; President of the Republic of Kenya H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta; IGAD Executive Secretary Amb(Eng.) Mahboub M. Maalim; Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union Smail Chergui; Development Partners of IGAD as well as other dignitaries.

 The Agreement states that the two Parties agree to establish a Transitional Government of National Unity by 9 July 2015. The TGoNU will have a 30 month term that will be preceded by a three-month pre-transition period. The Agreement further states that the Parties agree to resolve all other outstanding issues of the conflict no later than 5 March 2015 and for the pre-transition period to begin on 1 April 2015.

According to the Agreement, the tasks of the TGoNU will include restoring peace, security and order in the country; expediting the relief, repatriation, rehabilitation and resettlement of IDPS and returnees; facilitating a process of national reconciliation and healing through an independent mechanism as well as overseeing a permanent constitution-making process among others.

Other terms of the agreement include power sharing ratios of ministerial and other portfolios of the TGoNU as well as the establishment of a Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) that will be responsible for monitoring and overseeing the implementation of the Agreement. The final phase of negotiations is scheduled to begin on 19 February in Addis Ababa and the Parties have agreed to complete negotiations on all the other outstanding issues and sign a Peace Agreement no later than 5 March 2015.

IGAD’s Conflict Early Warning and Response Mechanism (CEWARN) needs the services of a competent vendor to do partitioning of a new office space. CEWARN invites competent companies registered in Ethiopia to submit bills of quantities as per the details provided in attached TOR.

This application shall be closed on Friday 23rd January 2015 at 4:00PM

In a statement he issued this morning on the hearing of H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta at the ICC, IGAD Executive Secretary, H.E. Ambassador Mahboub Maalim said: “My presence here with President Uhuru Kenyatta at The Hague is a show of solidarity by the Greater Horn of Africa and IGAD member states. We would all wish to convey our best wishes and support to President Kenyatta as he attends the hearing.

Read full version  of statement below:

CEWARN Director Mr. Richard Barno will be speaking later today (1 October 2014) on behalf of the IGAD Executive Secretary Ambassador Mahboub Maalim at a high-level briefing on the margins of the 69th Session of the United Nations General Assembly on the topic: “the role of Regional Economic Communities in Consolidating Peace, Security, Governance and Development in the Context of Agenda 2063”.

The session is organized by the Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA), the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Regional Bureau for Africa and the Office of the Permanent Observer of the African Union to the United Nations The event that will be held at the UN Head Quarters in New York at 10am – 1pm (local time), will be live streamed via: http://webtv.un.org/

The Sixth Session of the IGAD-led multi-stakeholder peace talks for South Sudan that officially opened on 22 September 2014, is progressing in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. Bahir Dar is a city located approximately 578 km north-northwest of the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

According to a statement that was released by the mediators announcing the resumption of the talks, the participants attending the session have accepted the First Draft of the Text Arising from the 25 August Protocol as well as Stakeholders’ Positions submitted earlier on key agenda items, as a basis for the negotiations in Bahir Dar.

The participants of the multi-stakeholder roundtable negotiations, namely the delegations of the Government of the Republic of South Sudan (GRSS); SPLM/A – In Opposition; SPLM Leaders ( Former Detainees) as well as representatives of political parties, civil society and faith based groups will be negotiating on Transitional governance arrangements; parameters of permanent constitution; transitional security arrangements; resource, economic and financial management; transitional justice, reconciliation and healing among others..

The Protocol on Agreed Principles of Transitional Arrangements towards Resolution of the Crisis in South Sudan, that will serve as a principle document for ongoing negotiations, was endorsed by the IGAD Assembly of Heads of State and Government during its latest session in Addis Ababa on 25 August 2014.

Ambassador Seyoum Mesfin, the Chairperson of the IGAD Special Envoys for South Sudan in his opening remarks at the resumption of the talks on 22 September, reminded participants that the documents presented to them are theirs and thus represent their interests. He further cautioned participants against further delay in substantial progress in the talks due to rhetorical or procedural issues.

Meanwhile, fighting erupted in Renk County and in the area south of Malakal town in Upper Nile during the days leading up to the resumption of the latest session of the talks. IGAD mediators have condemned the renewed fighting and expressed concern over the threat continued fighting presents to progress at the talks.

In a related press release issued by the mediation, Ambassador Seyoum Mesfin, appealed to both parties to stay calm and exercise restraint, as the IGAD Monitoring and Verification Teams investigate and issue a comprehensive report to expose the real perpetrators and violators of the Implementation Matrix of the Cessation of Hostilities (COH) Agreement which was signed on 25 August 2014.