CEWARN and partners hosted an inception report workshop towards pilot implementation of the informal cross border trade and cross border security governance policy framework on 12-13 November in Addis Ababa.

The policy framework contains interventions for improved facilitation of informal cross border trade to improve human security and cross border security governance in the IGAD region.

The main objective of the workshop was to guide a field assessment exercise to determine pilot cross-border sites for implementation. The workshop also helped identify criteria for selection of pilot sites and methodology of field assessment.

The inception workshop follows the adoption of the policy framework on the Informal Cross Border Trade and Cross Border Security Governance by the Ministers in-charge of Trade of IGAD member states on 22 June 2018 in Mombasa. The Ministers also commissioned IGAD-CEWARN to coordinate the implementation of the policy framework.

The IGAD Policy framework on Informal Cross border trade and cross border security governance is a fruit a collaborative exercise among CEWARN and partners namely: the Life and Peace Institute (LPI); the Organization for Social Science Research in East and Southern Africa (OSSREA) and the InterAfrica Group.

CEWARN in partnership with the UK-based International Alert conducted a training on conflict and gender sensitivity in peace work for officials from CEWARN’s national units and the regional office on 14-16 October in Bishoftu, Ethiopia.

The training drew together coordinators and programme officers from CEWARN’s national units in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda as well as the CEWARN Unit.

The training programme’s scope included: use of conflict, gender analysis and social inclusion models in peace programming as well as integration of conflict and gender sensitivity in all peace interventions. In addition, participants were taken through exercises on the development of gender-relational indicators for their activities, linked to CEWARN’s Monitoring, Evaluation, Resolution, and Learning framework.

The training was conceived within the framework of a partnership agreement that was signed between IGAD and International Alert in 2017. International Alert is a peace building organization with a well-established track-record of working the IGAD region.

The European Union provided financial support for this training under the IGAD Promoting Peace and Security in the Horn of Africa Region programme (IPPSHAR).

The United Nations Department of Political and Peace building Affairs (UN DPPA) and IGAD’s Conflict Early Warning and Response Mechanism (CEWARN) held a training program on effective writing, political analysis and reporting on 1 – 4 October 2019 in Addis Ababa. The training targeted analysts from the CEWARN Unit, Office of the Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa as well as Field offices in Khartoum and Juba.

Chief of Policy and Guidance of the UN Department of Political and Peace Building Affairs (UN DPPA) Roselyn Akome and Director of CEWARN Unit Camlus Omogo presided over the program which was organized within the framework of a cooperation agreement that was signed between the United Nations Department of Political Affairs and IGAD in 2015.

UN staff from DPPA’s Guidance and Learning Unit in collaboration with the Language and Communications Programme, Department of Management Strategy Policy and Compliance delivered the training. In the course of the program, CEWARN’s early warning reporting templates were reviewed and refined to ensure effective communication of conflict early warning to decision makers.

The 2015 cooperation agreement between the UN and IGAD is intended to institutionalize collaboration among relevant departments of the two organizations on peace, and security issues in East and Horn of Africa region. It is also aimed at ensuring coherence between the two organizations’ conflict management initiatives based on comparative advantages.

While the agreement lays emphasis on conflict prevention, early warning and early action, its scope covers wide spectrum of Conflict Prevention Management and Resolution (CPMR) initiatives including joint conflict analysis and research; developing common strategies to address cross-border security threats as well as joint initiatives on promoting democracy and good governance and mediation.

CEWARN and partners hosted official launch events of livestock markets in Magado Kebele in Oromia Regional State of Ethiopia and Sololo sub-county in Marsabit County of Kenya along the Ethiopia-Kenya border.

The launch of the Sololo livestock market was held on location some 80 Kms from Moyale town on 14 August, in the presence of Deputy Governor of Marsabit County Mr. Solomon Gubo; Secretary in charge of peace-building and conflict management and disaster response of the Republic of Kenya Mr. Peter Thuku; CEWARN Director Mr. Camlus Omogo and other officials.

The construction of the livestock markets was coordinated by the national Conflict Early Warning and Response Units of Ethiopia and Kenya with financial support from USAID Kenya and East Africa.

The construction of the markets began in 2011 and they have been partially inaugurated for use since 2015. Subsequently, additional market stalls for women vendors have also been constructed. Other partners that have supported market construction and refurbishing include: IGAD’s Regional Pastoral Livelihoods Resilience Project (RPLRP); the InterAfrica Group (IAG) from Ethiopia and Community Initiative Facilitation and Assistance (CIFA-Kenya).

The livestock markets are expected to boost cross-border livestock trade, which is the mainstay of pastoral communities from the two countries that live along the border. It is also intended to provide economic stimulus to the communities whose livelihoods have been affected by recurring conflicts in the area.

In addition, the markets are expected to serve as connectors that strengthen inter-communal ties among the borderland communities as well as foster regular interaction and exchange of information to mitigate inter-communal conflicts.

CEWARN seeks the service of a qualified communications specialist to support the development of the an outreach strategy that matches the mechanism’s expanded reach and scope of operations. For full information on desired qualifications and applications modalities, refer to the contract notice attached.

Interested candidates can also refer to the tender dossier via https://bit.ly/2GzrWab

Also attached is clarification on tender in response to questions.

Deadline for application is 02 September 2019.

CEWARN convened the 14th meeting of Committee of Permanent Secretaries (CPS) that brings together permanent secretaries of Ministries of Foreign affairs and Heads of national Conflict Early Warning and Response Units (CEWERUs) from IGAD Member states on 19 July 2019.

The meeting that was held at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Addis Ababa was also attended by IGAD Focal Persons from Ministries of Foreign Affairs of IGAD member states. The CPS is CEWARN’s highest policy organ that convenes bi-annually to consider the progress of CEWARN’s operations and provide policy guidance.

The CPS meeting was preceded by a two-day technical Meeting of Heads of CEWARN’s national Units (CEWERUs) as well as representatives of Civil society organizations from Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda.

The technical meeting received reports from national CEWERUs and the CEWARN Unit on the status of implementation of CEWARN Strategy Framework 2012-2020. The technical meeting came up with a set of recommendations to guide the mechanism’s subsequent regional conflict prevention and peace building work.

The recommendations of the technical meeting that were adopted as decisions of the CPS include: directing the national CEWERUs to use innovative means of setting up sustainable national early warning data collections systems that are suitable to their unique contexts. The systems could combine various methods including engaging CSOs and crowd sourcing.

The CPS also directed the CEWARN Unit and CEWERUs to initiate a revitalization of national CEWERU steering committees and expand their membership as well as develop and/or update their operational guidelines to ensure effectiveness.

Refer to Decision of the 14th CPS.

CEWARN hosted a seminar on the nexus between taxation and conflict in the IGAD region on 19-20 June 2019 in Entebbe, Uganda. Participants included officials from ministries of finance and revenue authorities as well as representatives of special interest groups including trade unions and academic institutions from IGAD Member States.

The main aim of the seminar was to explore current policy and practice in integrating conflict sensitivity in tax governance processes in IGAD Member States.

The seminar also sought to generate policy recommendations on more effective conflict sensitive taxation processes in IGAD Member States. The seminar benefitted from several technical presentations on the nexus between taxation and conflict as well as COMESA’s structural vulnerability assessment work.

The preliminary recommendations drawn from the seminar included: the need for further exploration of level of public participation in tax initiation processes; the need for effective public information; the need for institutional capacity building for tax administration; the need for better sensitization and tax education as well as a proposal to set up a regional advisory center on Taxation issues.

The seminar was within the context of CEWARN’s recent transition to a multi-sectoral focus of conflict prevention. The activity was undertaken with the support of the European Union.

CEWARN convened a meeting of experts in its five sectors of focus, namely, economy, security, governance, Social affairs and environment from Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan and Uganda on 15-17 May 2019 in Mombasa.

The experts meeting’s aim was to undertake a review of CEWARN’s early warning system including review of its data collection templates as well as its indicators for events’ reporting and situation briefs.

CEWARN gathers conflict early warning data from across the region using a civil society-based network of data collectors who report on incidents as they occur and also periodically submit situation briefs across the five sectors of focus. CEWARN also uses a sophisticated software tool called ‘the CEWARN reporter’ to manage vast amounts of early warning data pulled from the region.

The CEWARN reporter’s functions include tracking, categorizing and doing preliminarily analysis of data including its visual representation through maps and other graphics.

The Experts Review Workshop reviewed and improved on CEWARN’s draft Conflict, Risk, Trend, and Response Analysis Frameworks. The outputs from the Workshop will inform an upgrade of the CEWARN Reporter and will further strengthen the mechanism Data Collection, Analysis and Response operations.

The activity was undertaken with the generous support of the European Union.

CEWARN is hiring a Research and Training Officer.

Please refer to Terms of Reference for required qualifications and
guidelines on submitting application.

Deadline for Application : 10 May 2019.

CEWARN received conflict early warning experts from the secretariat of the East African Community (EAC) and partner states from Kenya, South Sudan and Uganda on 15 March 2019 at the CEWARN office. The delegation was led by the Deputy Secretary General of EAC, Mr. Charles Njoroge.

The delegation received a briefing on CEWARN’s early warning operations that span the IGAD region with three Member States being also member states of the EAC – Kenya, South Sudan and Uganda.

Mr. Charles Njoroge cited the long-standing close partnership between IGAD and EAC and appreciated the former’s wealth of experience in conflict early warning, conflict resolution and mediation.

He particularly commended ongoing peace efforts in South Sudan and Somalia. The session’s deliberations centered on harmonizing CEWARN’s and EAC’s early warning structures in the three countries.