Ministers of foreign affairs of COMESA Member States concluded their one-day meeting in Bujumbura, Tuesday, 29 October 2024 with peace and security issues in focus.

Setting the tone of the meeting, Zambia’s Minister of Defence, Hon. Ambrose Lufuma, said despite achievements recorded in the status of peace, security and stability during the past one, the region still faces some peace and security challenges.

Hon Lufuma who was, representing  the outgoing chair of the Committee of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Mulambe Haimbe, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Zambia, cited increased number of countries that have conducted national multistakeholder consultations on the COMESA Structural Vulnerability Assessment which has risen to ten.

The number of countries that have volunteered for the Country Structural Vulnerability and Resilience Assessment has increased to three and peaceful elections have been held in Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Egypt, DR Congo, Comoros, Rwanda and Tunisia.

“Despite this progress and achievements, our region still faces some peace and security challenges,” Hon Lufuma said. “The conflict in Sudan is still on going with serious humanitarian crisis. The same is with the situation in Eastern DR Congo and Libya.”

Climate change also featured prominently in the meeting as a major challenge that the region continues to face. Specifically, the devastating drought facing the southern Africa region was identified as having serious ramifications on agriculture, power and water supply, which has had a spillover effect on the economy.

This meeting comes ahead of the 23^rd COMESA Heads of State and Governments Summit to be held on 31^st October 2024 where Zambia will hand over the Chair of the COMESA Authority to Burundi.

COMESA Secretary General Chileshe Mpundu Kapwepwe highlighted key interventions in place including the enhancement of early warning capabilities, addressing the root causes of conflicts, supporting conflict prevention and management, countering violent extremism and terrorism, combating money laundering and financing of terrorism, contributing to post-conflict reconstruction and development.

The in-coming Chairperson of the Committee of Ministers of Foreign Affairs Hon Albert Shingiro of Burundi pledged his government’s commitment to enhancing peace, security and stability in the region.

He said the country will work will all Member States during Burundis’ tenure to advance ideals of regional integration with peace being vital for any trade and development to occur.

Click on the link below to read/download the Newsletter.

GPS QUARTER2 NEWS LETTER REVISED

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COMMUNIQUE OF THE INTERNATIONAL ELECTION OBSERVATION AND ELECTORAL MISSIONS TO THE REPUBLIC OF RWANDA GENERAL ELECTION OF JULY 2024

1. UPON the invitation of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) of the Republic of Rwanda, the Election Observation Missions of the East African Community (EAC); the African Union (AU) jointly with the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA); the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS); the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) and the electoral mission of the International Organisation of la Francophonie (OIF) observed the General Election of Rwanda of July 2024.
2. RECOGNISING the commitment of the people of the Republic of Rwanda to build a State based on consensual and pluralistic democracy founded on power sharing, national unity and reconciliation, good governance, development, social justice, tolerance and resolution of problems through dialogue;
3. MINDFUL that the political and electoral system of Rwanda is designed to fulfill this commitment and having acquainted ourselves with the prevailing political and electoral environment and the context within which the people of Rwanda are exercising their democratic right to vote for their leaders; and
4. HAVING interacted with various key stakeholders involved in the electoral process and witnessed the campaigns, voting, counting and tallying;
5. OBSERVE that:

• the electoral, political and security environment in the Republic of Rwanda before,during and immediately after the elections has been calm and peaceful;
• the National Electoral Commission and other institutions responsible for managingthe electoral process have so far discharged their duty diligently in accordance with the electoral calendar.

7. COMMEND the Government of the Republic of Rwanda and the National Electoral Commission for successfully organizing and managing the electoral process thus far.
8. CONGRATULATE the people of Rwanda for exercising their democratic right to choose their leaders in a calm and peaceful manner.

Done in Kigali this 17^th day of July, 2024.

Click on the links below to download the statements.

• Final- AU COMESA EOM Preliminary Statement in Full
• English Joint Communique of Election Observer Missions in Rwanda
• FRENCH Joint Communique of Election Observer Missions in Rwanda FINAL

Voting has opened smoothly in most polling stations in Rwanda as the country goes to the polls today Monday 15 July 2024. Observers from the Joint African Union-COMESA Team have been deployed across the country and witnessed the opening process. People have turned out to cast their vote in the 2024 Generals Elections of Rwanda. The country has 9.7million registered voters and over 2, 400 polling stations.

The Joint AU-COMESA Election Observation Mission (AUCOMESAEOM) has deployed 48 short term observers who include representatives from election management bodies, members of African civil society organisations, African election experts, gender and media experts.

The AU-COMESA EOM is led by H.E. Jorge Carlos De Almedia Fonseca, former President of Cabo Verde and deputised by Rt. Hon. Ruhakana Rugunda, former Prime Minister of Uganda. He is also a member of the COMESA Committee of Elders. The Mission is expected to issue their preliminary statement containing initial findings and recommendations on the conduct of the elections in Kigali on Wednesday 17 July 2024.

The observers are drawn from Benin, Cabo Verde, Comoros, Egypt, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Libya, Malawi, Mauritius, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Over 60 small-scale cross border traders, border management and other government officials from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia at the Kipushi border post participated in a five-day capacity building forum to establish formalised networks at the entry point.

The forum, held on May 13 – 17 2024, is part of COMESA’s commitment towards enhancing peace and cross border trade in the Great Lakes region and beyond. It was organised by the COMESA Secretariat through the Trading for Peace Project being implemented by the Governance Peace and Security (GPS) Unit.

Following a recent policy directive by COMESA Ministers of Foreign Affairs, the GPS Unit convened a joint DRC-Zambia workshop at the Kipushi border to establish a formalised structure of a joint border committee to facilitate cross-border engagement and cooperation.

Key discussions centered on the understanding and implementation of the COMESA Simplified Trade Regime programme, the Charter on the Minimum Standards for the Treatment of Small-Scale Cross-Border Traders, improved ways of conducting conflict prevention, analysis and resolution. The delegates also discussed the challenges faced by small-scale cross -border traders when conducting cross-border trade at Kipushi.

Speaking on behalf of COMESA Secretariat, Conflict Early Warning Expert in the GPS Unit Mr Raymond Kitevu reiterated the organisation’s commitment and support to peace building efforts in the region as it was an assured way of deepening trade and development in the region.

He expressed gratitude to the Ministers of Foreign Affairs for their guidance and the development partners such as the World bank for the continued support to the peace building efforts in the region.

“As COMESA, we are here to support peace building efforts and initiatives because without peace there cannot be any trade to talk about. Our thanks go to the cooperating partners who also believe in this resolve,” Mr Kitevu said.

Following the training, a Joint Border Committee was established and a plan for the way forward developed. This includes the need for the Secretariat to continue conducting capacity building initiatives and efforts be expedited to operationalise the Committee.

The delegates also noted that the Governments of DRC and Zambia have finalised bilateral talks on implementing the STR and the Agreement is awaiting signing by Ministers responsible for Trade from the two countries.

Launched in 2007, the Trading for Peace Project is being implemented in the Great Lakes region covering the DRC and its eastern neighbours Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia. It is currently being funded by the EU-APSA programme.

More than 30 officers from Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) in seven COMESA Member States have completed a one-week training in Nairobi, Kenya, focused on strategic and operational effectiveness in financial intelligence. Held from May 13 to 17, 2024, this training is part of the COMESA Secretariat’s efforts to combat Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs) and disrupt criminal networks in the region.

The training was organized in response to Member States’ requests to enhance the capabilities of their FIU officials. The goal is to enhance their ability to conduct effective inspections of reporting entities, monitor financial transactions, and detect predicate offenses.

“This is a common demand across our Member States, so we grouped the countries together to deliver the training. This ensures broad benefits and provides a platform for sharing experiences,” said Dr. Oita Etyang, Head of the COMESA Governance, Peace, and Security programme.

Participants from Eritrea, Eswatini, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Seychelles, and Zambia were trained in strategic and operational analysis and financial intelligence. The training highlighted the region’s progress in complying with Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards, including the supervision of reporting entities and the detection and reporting of suspicious transactions.

During the training, delegates exchanged experiences on enhancing information sharing and technical cooperation, especially considering the transnational nature of money laundering and terrorist financing.

A similar training session is planned for later this year, targeting officials from Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

In addition to building the capacity of FIUs, the COMESA Secretariat has supported Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) with training sessions in 2022 and 2023. These sessions focused on investigating, detecting, and prosecuting financial crimes, including IFFs and money laundering, to recover illicit wealth. Further support has been provided to strengthen anti-money laundering laws in accordance with global FATF standards.

These initiatives are supported under the fourth African Union African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA IV) Program, funded by the European Union.

COMESA Secretariat has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR). The aim is to cooperate in promoting and fostering sustainable peace, truth, reconciliation, stability and transnational justice in the COMESA region. The two will cooperate with Member States in violence prevention, reconciliation and transitional justice.

The MoU also provides for capacity building for African Union Member States, the COMESA Committee of Elders, Civil Society Organisations, Community Based Organisations, youth and women. Election observers will also be trained on transnational justice, mental health, psychosocial support services and management of elections in conflict-induced countries.

Speaking during the brief ceremony held at the COMESA headquarters in Lusaka on 6 May 2024, Dr Dev Haman, Assistant Secretary General in charge of administration and finance acknowledged the need for extensive collaboration in order to achieve sustainable peace and security on the continent. He emphasised the need for both COMESA and the CSVR to pinpoint specific activities to focus on extensively, rather than attempting to work on a larger number of activities at once. This he said would help achieve results efficiently, effectively and at a faster rate.

He also emphasized the need to work on identifying the root causes of violence and for regional bodies to partner in effectively addressing violence and resolving conflicts at the grassroots level in a timely manner.

CSVR Executive Director Annah Moyo-Kupeta expressed gratitude to COMESA for its positive response to the signing of the MOU and for its willingness to partner in areas of common interest.

She emphasised the importance of strengthening collaboration to achieve a greater impact across the continent in a bid to achieve the “ideal” state of affairs, peaceful, violence and conflict-free societies.

“As CSVR, we have an active, growing engagement with regional bodies, such as COMESA and the African Union Economic Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) as a technical partner to ensure enhanced synergy and resources such as expertise and funds for the undertaking of violence prevention activities across the continent.

The MoU also allows for supporting election management bodies in the region, support to the COMESA inter-parliamentary forum, mainstreaming gender and youth participation in democracy, governance and development initiatives among many other areas.

The evolution of conflict dynamics over the years and violations committed against children pose the greatest threats to child protection in conflict situations. Contemporary conflicts present more challenges for children, especially given the increasing number of violations committed against children, the growing number of actors in any given conflict, and the complexity of drivers of conflict that have had the consequence of delaying and complicating resolution processes and the protracted nature of the conflict itself. The diversity of conflict in Africa precludes the possibility of presenting a universal picture thereof and children’s experiences from a Pan-African perspective. Some African countries have experienced prolonged and protracted conflicts that have almost wholly undermined governance and led to the partial or total collapse of child protection systems. Of the 21 country situations outlined in
intensify efforts to protect children from the effects of conflict, cognisant of the increasing incidence of grave violations against children in situations of armed conflict. This outlook can be argued to have been inspired by the push for regional and sub-regional organisations to address the plight of children affected by armed conflict, as illustrated in various platforms, including the 2018 Report of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict and UN Security Council Resolution 2427 as the most recent Security Council resolution on the subject
of children and armed conflict. The 2018 Annual Report urged regional and sub-regional organisations to strengthen dedicated child protection capacities and assist in developing tools to prevent grave violations. This position has been supported by the Member States, which have recognised “the strategic advantage of regional organisations in addressing the impact of armed conflicts on children.”

Appreciating the contribution of relevant actors to the promotion of peace, security, and stability on the continent and their critical role in protecting and preventing the violation
of the rights of children in conflict, COMESA, Save the Children, and the African Child Policy Forum convened a conference on Protecting Children Affected by Armed Conflicts under the theme “Reinvigorating Our Commitment to Protect Children in Conflict Situations” on 28 – 30 November in Nairobi. The conference saw the participation of stakeholders from the region to initiate dialogue and consensusbuilding toward approaches aimed at bridging identified gaps in the implementation of the CAAC agenda on the continent and reinforcing advocacy in
a call for action for more effective and accountable ways of protecting children affected by armed conflict.

A three-day conference themed, ‘THE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN AFFECTED BY ARMED CONFLICTS IN AFRICA REINVIGORATING POLITICAL ACTION’ was convened from the 28th to 30th of November 2022 in Nairobi, Kenya. Some of the specific objectives included: Advocating for more robust protection of children in situations of armed conflict; Awareness creation, Learning and Knowledge exchange on CAAC; and Mobilizing commitments and investments in CAAC. The conference brought together stakeholders from the RECs, government officials, local and international NGOs, development partners and children’s parliaments’ representatives from Nigeria, Mali, Ethiopia, Somalia and Mozambique.

ON THE FIRST DAY, stakeholders reaffirmed their political commitments to the CAAC agenda. Children formed an important part of the deliberations urging partners to act quickly to promote child inclusion in policy formulation and implementation. The need EXECUTIVE SUMMARY the 2021 annual report of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict, 19 (90 per cent) have continued to be highlighted in the annual report for the last eight years. As the conflicts become more protracted, families get forced to leave their homes and ecosystems of livelihoods resulting in increased susceptibility to violations, especially among children. 2. There is a vast body of international legal instruments, Security Council Resolutions, standards, guidelines, procedures and protocols, provisions in peace agreements, and concrete commitments made by parties to protect children in conflict situations. Regionally, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) is the principal instrument framing the full spectrum of rights, protection and welfare of children, including those in situations of armed conflict, tension, and strife. Article 22 of the Charter speaks explicitly to the protecting and caring for children affected by armed conflict. The presence of such robust frameworks notwithstanding, the protection of children in situations of armed conflict remains one of the most daunting challenges of the 21st Century. These frameworks seem to have a limited effect on guaranteeing children’s safety and well-being, noting that the number of children living in conflict zones on the continent continues to increase, and children continue to be subject to rights violations, including violence that is both incidental and targeted.
3. There is a growing disposition within the African Union, the regional economic communities and mechanisms (RECS, RMs) and the Member States to for the implementation of effective continental and regional strategies was emphasized in a bid to strengthen child protection efforts.

THE SECOND DAY of the conference brought to light emerging and devastating threats associated with conflicts such as climate change, violent extremism and sexual violence against children, with the International Peace Security Training Centre, auspiciously launching their book ‘Children Peace and Security’. Samuel Hall Consultants and Save the Children presented the findings of the Conflict-Sensitive Capacity Gap Assessment to Respond and Protect Children Associated with Armed Forces and Armed Groups (CAAFAG). The objective of the
study was to understand the structures, networks, and systems in place to provide support through integrated stakeholder mobilization and sensitization and re-positioning child protection at the center of [SCI’s] programming. The session aimed to reflect on CAAFAG programming in Somalia, including emerging trends and achievements, and propose
recommendations for action by the different actors in Somalia.

The hallmark of THE THIRD DAY of the conference featured engaging exchanges between ministers and the child representatives. The children were given an opportunity to present their communiques to the government officials and recurrent issues on food insecurity, climate change, poverty, and lack of education were reiterated. The ambassadors then gave
statements on functional processes that address child rights violations in their respective countries which focused primarily on mitigating learning disruptions in schools, capacity building for child protection personnel, vertical and horizontal integration of child protection mechanisms, and the dignified reintegration and rehabilitation of affected children into the community. This was followed by the launch of the SWOC (Stop the War on Children) report by Save the Children which identified deeply concerning trends for the safety and well-being of children living in conflict areas in Africa. Six out of the ten worst conflict-afflicted countries to
be a child were found in Africa: the DRC, Mali, Nigeria, Cameroon, Sudan and the CAR.

THE FINAL SESSION involved discussions on Child Protection Humanitarian Funding and Partnerships that exposed glaring deficiencies in the financing of the child protection agenda. Member states were urged to devise innovative solutions and not be entirely reliant on aid with respect to all child protection matters.

Click here to read/download the report

The Mediation Strategy is a general document that situates mediation initiatives of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) within its objectives, and mandate and its mission, vision and operating environment. It considers the Decisions of the Policy Organs that relate to mediation and provides a framework towards the implementation of the Decisions.

Policy decisions and directives on Peace and Security are made by the COMESA Ministers of Foreign Affairs with the overall aim of ensuring a peaceful and secure environment in the COMESA region. This in turn is intended to enable the broader aims of the organization to be realized. The policy directives and the establishment of the COMESA programmes on peace and security reflect the institutional growth of COMESA in addressing peace and security issues continuing to evolve in the ever-changing and dynamic environment in the COMESA
region.

This document highlights strategies within the broader framework of the implementation of conflict prevention, management and resolution. It specifically addresses the COMESA Mediation approach and builds on the other tools developed to strengthen COMESA’s mediation efforts. To implement the strategy, three guiding documents and the rules governing the conduct of COMESA Committee of Elders have been developed. The three documents are:

• The Rules of Procedure (Operating Procedures) and Mediation
• Guidelines for the COMESA Committee of Elders;
• Handbook on management of electoral conflicts; and
• Handbook on management of natural resource-based conflicts.

Click on the link below to download the strategy.

• GPS MEDIATION STRATEGY

APALA One-Stop Youth Centre – Photo book

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