About 400 young people are expected to benefit from services to be offered at the newly refurbished Apala One Stop Youth Center in Alebtong, north of Uganda. Working in collaboration with the Government, COMESA Secretariat and partners namely Save the Children, Horn of Africa Youth Network and Epuka Ugaidi launched the Center located in Moroto County about 450km from Kampala on Thursday 21 December 2023.

It has been equipped with ten high tech computers, one printer and a 55-inch television set. Renovation works included replacing roofing sheets and providing furniture at a combined cost of USD$80,000. Through the partners, more than 3, 000 books have been mobilized and stocked in the information center.

Speaking at the launch in Alebtong, Uganda’s Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development Hon. Betty Amongi commended COMESA and partners for the gesture which she said would greatly help the young people in the community.

She said her government would work with the local leaders to ensure that the renovated facility is supported and expanded to ensure that it offers more services to the young people in Alebtong and surrounding areas.

“The launch we are witnessing today is very important and will go a long way in keeping our young people engaged in various developmental skills which will help them become productive and contribute positively to society,” said Hon. Amongi. She was represented by the National Youth Council Chairperson of Uganda Mr Jacob Eyeru.

Prior to the launch, the youth leadership from the county participated in a three-day training in governance and center management, procurement operations and strategy, communications, community engagement and social sustainability among other topics.

The Ugandan government, regional partners and the local community all agreed that the establishment of the Apala One-Stop Youth Hub signified a pivotal milestone, providing youth with a tangible space for active engagement in peace-building efforts.

COMESA Secretariat was represented by the incoming Head of the Governance, Peace and Security Unit Dr Oita Etyang who reiterated the organisation’s commitment to working with young people.

“I would like to assure you that this is not the end of our support. As COMESA, we are committed to see this center thrive so that it can be replicated in other countries to save young people,” He added “beyond collective impact, this hub fosters community, empowerment, skill-building, mentorship and leadership development and it will lay the groundwork for a resilient future,”

Save the Children Thematic Head -for Children Affected by Armed Conflict in Eastern and Southern Africa Programme Mr Anthony Njoroge called on the young people and community at large to guard the facility jealously and put it to good use.

Kevin Waigwa – the Director at Epuka Ugaidi a youth-based civil-society Organisation encouraged the young people to focus on building a better future for themselves by utilizing the new facility and gaining the needed skills.

The launch event was attended by a diverse audience which included civic leaders, local youth, district policymakers, community representatives and the general public.

The Apala One-Stop Youth Hub’s launch heralds a new era of youth empowerment, promising a brighter, more harmonious future for Uganda.

A few months back, the partners working with the National Youth Council of Uganda conducted training for the youth in Apala on Silencing the Guns Campaign.

Launch Apala One Stop Youth Hub | Flickr

Researchers, policy makers, diplomats, scholars and political leaders from the COMESA region and beyond have called for in depth research into causes of conflict and re-assessment of the current interventions in order to address some of the ongoing geopolitical dynamics in Africa and the world.

This call was made during the inaugural conference to dissect the multiple crises and geopolitical divides that are redefining international relations and diplomacy in the world today.

The conference was organized by the International Relations Society of Kenya (IRSK) with support from COMESA Secretariat and the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD).

Stakeholders from the key sectors in peace and security met from 25 – 27 October in Nairobi Kenya to discuss and make recommendations to address the multiple crises and unprecedented geopolitical changes that have far-reaching implications on future growth and development for the COMESA region and Africa as a whole.

Speaking on behalf of COMESA Secretariat, the Head of Governance, Peace and Security Unit Ms Elizabeth Mutunga described the conference as significantly important to the regional bloc whose programme on peace and security is a product of policy research.

“Whether it is conflict prevention, conflict management or post conflict reconstruction, our programmes have mostly been guided by research and upon assessment of the interventions by other RECs, COMESA has carved its niche around the economic dimensions of conflict,” Ms Mutunga said.

Sha added that the current global environment has manifested in an increase of terrorism and violent extremism for the region and continent, including a rise in unconstitutional changes of governments, hence it is time again to reassess existing interventions to establish if they are fit for purpose.

Delegates hailed the conference as timely in the wake of the current conflicts in the middle east, the aftermath of the COVID-19 and the Ukraine war all of which have negative impacts. The effects of climate change were also discussed as contributing to the complexity of the already complex situations in the world.

Keynote speakers at the hybrid meeting included former COMESA Secretary General Amb. Erastus Mwencha in his capacity as Chairperson African Capacity Building Foundation, H.E. Anthony Okara, Special Amb. African Leaders Malaria Alliance and Dr Vasu Gounden Executive Director of ACCORD.

Others were Ms Rose Makena Permanent Representative of Kenya to the United Nations Office at Nairobi and UNEP. The Swedish ambassador to Kenya H.E. Ms Caroline Vicini and Ms Betty Sungura-Nyabuto National Gender and Equality Commission Chief Executive Officer also spoke at the grand events.

Across the expansive canvas of Africa, a vibrant wave of untapped potential surges forth through the continent’s dynamic youth. With a significant demographic of young individuals, Africa stands poised to redefine its trajectory towards prosperity. Despite grappling with armed conflicts and political upheaval, the introduction of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) holds promise for regional nations, offering a gateway to global economic integration, poverty alleviation, and inclusive development.

The resounding success of the second Intergenerational Dialogue (IGD) in Lusaka, Zambia which was held on October 16 – 18, 2023, stands as a testament to the fervor and commitment of over 50 youth from Zambia and more than 20 young leaders from diverse corners of Africa. Their impassioned voices echoed a collective aspiration to witness tangible transformations on the continent, particularly in the context of peace and security, as integral elements propelling the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

At its core, AfCFTA seeks to forge a unified continental marketplace for goods and services, fostering the free flow of commerce, investment, and skilled professionals in a peaceful manner. This monumental initiative aims to generate additional avenues for employment while amplifying the role of youth in political and economic spheres. As we approach the fifth anniversary of the AfCFTA agreement, a pressing need emerges to advance its operationalization, scrutinizing its impact on diverse demographics, with a keen focus on the youth across various sectors and nations.

The indispensable role of the youth, often underestimated and marginalized, is pivotal in driving social and economic progress under AfCFTA. Africa, blessed with an expansive and youthful population, holds a unique asset and competitive edge. Empowered with education, skills, and access to opportunities, African youth are poised to spearhead economic development and spearhead the actualization of AfCFTA’s transformative potential.

The implementation of AfCFTA has already spurred youth-led initiatives across sectors such as agriculture, financial technology, information technology, and creative industries. This surge of youth-driven entrepreneurship aligns seamlessly with the ethos of the Youth, Peace, and Security Agenda, rewriting the narrative of youth from potential instigators of conflict to active contributors to peace and socioeconomic advancement.

Regional Economic Communities (RECs) serve as linchpins in catalyzing these initiatives, offering mentorship, advocating for streamlined policies, and incubating young ventures. Through strategic partnerships, innovative endeavors, and a collective commitment to sustainable progress, RECs chart the course towards a more promising and resilient Africa. Together, we embark on a journey towards a future where Africa’s youth steer enduring advancements and prosperity.

To materialize this vision of an inclusive, peaceful, innovative, and sustainable future, it is imperative that Regional Economic Communities (RECs) prioritize initiatives tailored to the needs and aspirations of the youth. This encompasses the establishment of specialized hubs and programs led by young trailblazers, focusing on climate mitigation, entrepreneurship, and trade facilitation. These dynamic environments will foster collaboration, facilitate learning, and ignite innovative endeavors.

Moreover, the implementation of multi-stakeholder workshops, innovation challenges, and capacity-building programs will nurture creativity and equip young entrepreneurs with vital skills. Tailored incubation and mentorship programs will provide invaluable guidance and resources, while advocacy platforms will empower them to shape policy decisions. By forging collaborative ties with educational institutions and facilitating cross-border trade, RECs hold the potential to cultivate an environment conducive to sustainable economic development.

Furthermore, directing resources towards eco-friendly technologies, championing youth as active contributors to peacebuilding, and ensuring financial accessibility will further fortify and accelerate their entrepreneurial pursuits. Rigorous monitoring and evaluation mechanisms will ensure that these initiatives yield substantial and lasting impact, ultimately enhancing the prosperity and resilience of the continent.

By Mary-Yvonne Ododah
The author is the Chief Operations Officer at Epuka Ugaidi Organization which partnered with COMESA in holding the 2^nd IGN.
Email:info@epukaugaidi.com

For decades, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) region continues to experience a myriad of crises and challenges that have far-reaching implications on its growth and development. The simultaneous occurrence of several catastrophic and disastrous events relates to among others conflicts, natural and man-made disasters, economic meltdowns, environment, migrations, globalization, and humanitarian emergencies. In addition, extra-regional interests (geo-strategic) and competition continue to contribute significantly (either negative or positive) to the nature of the political, economic, and security architecture in the region. A combination of these factors has led to the development of fluid inter-state and diplomatic relations among and between the regional states with far-reaching consequences on the present and future of peace, security, regional integration and development in the sub-region. It is against this background, this year’s IRSK annual conference is focused on ‘International Relations and Diplomacy in an Era of Polycrisis and Geo-Strategic Competition in the COMESA Region.’

A plethora of theoretical, conceptual and practical perspectives underlie the implications of the different developments on international and diplomatic relations within COMESA. The nature and form of inter-state and diplomatic relations has implications on the peace, security, stability and development of the region. It is therefore important to critically analyse and succinctly capture the implications of the complexity brought about by these factors influencing interstate and diplomatic relations in the subregion. The central theoretical assumption guiding the conference theme is that through a combination of a variety of theories and methodological instruments, we would be able to understand, explain and analyse the causes and consequences of the complex relations that exist among and between states in the COMESA region. It means eclectic and multidisciplinary approaches are important to analyse these factors and their implications for regional peace, security, stability, integration and development. In addition, plausible policy suggestions will be made on how to promote peace, security, stability, integration and development in the sub-region. Effective and sustainable solutions to these crises and challenges require a deep understanding of the issues, approaches, mechanisms, dynamics, and methodologies.

In this regard, the conference aims to address three distinct but inter-related questions i) How are the various political, economic, and security developments taking place globally and regionally affecting interstate and diplomatic relations in the COMESA region; ii) What should collectively or individually be done to ensure that states, regional organizations and mechanisms are able to deal with any would-be negative implication of these developments to promote peace, security, stability and development. iii) What are the consequences and/or implications of a failure to effectively address these challenges?

Based on the three questions above, the conference will critically interrogate theoretical, conceptual and methodological instruments adopted to deal with these crises and challenges and policies needed. These are to be embedded in elaborate, innovative, and empirical examination in order to spur academic and policy discourse.

Click on the link below for more details.

IRSK Annual Conference – Call for Abstracts

East African Countries

Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.

Peace and security dynamics in East Africa

• Geopolitically, East Africa is part of at least two interlinked regional security complexes: the Horn of Africa and the African Great Lakes complex. This fact sheet will consider influences of both complexes in the sub-region, with the implication that some conflicts will span beyond member states of the EAC to others constituting the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa.
• Two of the five least safe and most insecure countries in the world are from eastern African: Somalia and South Sudan.
• Somalia since 1991-devasting for both national and regional security and has become a safe haven for international terrorism
• Kenya-since return to multi-partyism in 1992-ethnic violence in electoral years coupled with rise of criminal gangs-Mungiki, SLDF, MRC, numerous militias.
• Rwanda-Genocide and the after effect.
• Burundi-Ethnic rivalries
• South Sudan – Ethnic and Leadership rivalries
•  In Eastern Africa, the major terrorist threat derives from the salafi-jihadist organisation al-Shabaab, which functions primarily out of Somalia. Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Burundi have been directly involved in trying to counter the organization.
• There was a coup in Sudan in April 2019 and failed remote insurrections that triggered inter- and intra-ethnic tensions in Ethiopia in June 2019 and South Sudan in December 2013.
• There have been varying degrees of civil strife in Kenya (in 2013 and 2017) and Uganda, led by youthful Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine. In Burundi, the late former president Pierre Nkurunziza’s decision in April 2015 to run for a third term led to a failed coup in May 2015 and long-running civil strife.
• In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) there has been political volatility and fighting in the eastern regions for over two decades.
  

Eastern Africa’s peace and security structures 

• Eastern Africa is home to two key regional economic communities (RECs).

          -The Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD)
          – The Eastern African Community (EAC) Eastern

• African Standby Force Secretariat (EASFSEC)

Youth in East Africa

• East Africa has one of the youngest populations in the world. With such a large population of young people, supportive policies and programs on inclusive youth development are critical now more than ever.
• A majority of the youth-led organisations operate with limited funding, with 49% operating under USD 5,000 per annum and only 11% over USD 100,000
• Youth believe their main strength and motivation is in working with peers for a common vision of preventing violence and promoting peace in communities. This peer to peer trust is confirmed by a recent study, which reports that 60% of young people see peers as highly credible.
• Youth-led organisations are applying different skills to overcome funding challenges by finding alternative sources such as through their members, crowd funding, donations and in-kind support. Some push for visibility by participating in and actively joining local, national and international networks and social media. Others solicit funding through traditional sources such as through institutional donor proposals, partnership with CSOs, media houses (radios, TV), and others.
• A recent study showed that youth-led organisations partnering with civil society members helps pool limited resources.
• It is primarily Governments and political leaders who seek to mobilize, and often to manipulate, the role and function of youth for political ends. Research findings indicate that such stereotypes are also widely sustained and reinforced by the media.
• Partnerships are consistently highlighted by young people and their organisations as a key priority and means for expanding their impact in peacebuilding.
• The climate of mistrust is deeply entrenched in the region, and even if moving towards the same agenda, this mistrust has also been present between young people and the government.

Click on the link below to download the factsheet

• East African Factsheet

The training targets the national youth councils from Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, Somalia, Djibouti and youth led organisation from the Horn of Africa Region.

The training has been organised by Comesa in partnership with Save the Children and Horn of Africa Youth Network. Some of the challenges identified include:
1. Illiteracy
2. Language barrier
3. Limited sensitisation
4. Limited involvement of the youth in peace and security initiatives – ” Our voices are not there, we are not on the table

[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”1″ display=”basic_thumbnail” thumbnail_crop=”0″]

COMESA Secretariat working with the African Union Commission (AUC), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Regional Economic Communities have conducted a four-day training of trainers’ workshop for 12 countries on conflict prevention and peace building in the continent.

The workshop was conducted on 7 – 10 December in Nairobi, Kenya and focused on the AU’s Continental Early Warning System (CEWS) Africa Reporter Tool, the AU/COMESA Structural Vulnerability Assessments (SVAs), the COMESA Early Warning System (COMWARN) and the Country Structural Vulnerability and Resilience Assessment (CSVRA) methodology.

Twenty-four focal persons from Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Comoros, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, Angola, Mozambique, Seychelles, Madagascar, Zambia and Malawi attended the training. Representative from the Southern Africa Partnership for Prevention of Conflict (SAPPC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) also part participated.

At the training, representatives from the AU, COMESA and UNDP called for enhanced collaboration with the civil society as it is crucial in conflict prevention and peace building. Specifically, civil society have contacts on the ground who can be very useful in conflict early warning by monitoring the situation and thus anticipate the emergence of conflicts.

Besides, civil society organisations (CSOs) are strong in research and analysis, that can benefit state-level interventions by providing information and policy options. They are also known to build consensus around negotiations thus providing quality analysis which can go a long way towards the success of the talks.

COMESA Head of Governance, Peace and Security Ms Elizabeth Mutunga said the workshop was necessary to maximise effectiveness of all the potential partners.

“Our workshop is designed to equip civil society with the tools that exist in our organisations so that as they work with us, we can all reap the greatest synergies. Apart from the training, this will be a wonderful opportunity to share experiences and learn from each other.”

The COMESA Peace and Security (GPS) Programme have nurtured strategic partnership with the Civil Society in conflict prevention and peace building since the programme was established in 2000.

GPS has conducted a study on the root factors of conflicts in the subregion to inform COMESA’s entry point into peace and security matters in the region.  The study and consultations found that conflicts were very complex and exhibited dynamism that called for use of multifaceted approaches and the actions of a wide variety of stakeholders working together to address them. Specifically, the consultations identified an important role for civil society organisations in all aspects of conflict prevention and peace building.

The West Africa Network of Peacebuilders (WANEP) from the Regional Office in Accra, Ghana and the Nigeria Country Network provided additional hands-on training based on their experience of field reporting using the Africa Reporter and the ECOWAS Early Warning (ECOWARN) Reporter.

A joint meeting of ministers responsible for youth and foreign affairs have called for the engagement of young people in shaping the peace and security agenda on the continent starting at the national and regional level before being escalated on to the wider scale.

They were speaking at the just ended high-level ministerial conference on the role of Regional Economic Communities in promoting youth, peace and security agenda in the east and Horn of Africa, that was conducted in Nairobi, Kenya from 1 – 5 November 2021.

The aim of the conference was to promote the youth, peace and security agenda by advocating for more inclusive policies and meaningful engagement of young people in peacebuilding and conflict prevention mechanisms. It was jointly organized by the African Union working with COMESA, the Government of Kenya, and civil society organisations namely Save the Children, Life and Peace Institute and the Horn of Africa Youth Network.

Young people drawn from national youth councils and civil society organisations from Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan and Uganda participated and issued their own communique to the ministers.

In the Communique, they called for strengthening the implementation of the AU Continental Framework on Youth, Peace and Security. Specifically, they urged for speedy establishment and strengthening of fora that promotes inclusivity of various stakeholders to engage on matters of youth, peace and security.

Further, they called urgent action to address the root and structural causes of conflicts by strengthening early warning systems at national, regional and continental levels. They reckoned that this could be achieved by mainstreaming youth and encouraging the use of alternative dispute resolution.

They urged stakeholders and all Member States to make tangible investment in provision of essential protection services including mental health and psychosocial support, life skills and addressing sexual and gender-based violence in the context of conflict.

The conference participants urged regional institutions to enhance information, communication and dissemination with stakeholders and further promote knowledge management. In this respect, they called for investment in capacity building of youth leaders, commitment to mobilization of resources for the national youth councils to execute their mandate while also strengthening accountability mechanisms.

The meeting was opened by Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs Kenya Hon. Joseph Mucheru. Ministers who participated in the meeting were Hon. Mohammed Abdirizak Minister of Foreign Affairs and Hon. Hamza Saeed Hamza, Minister of Youths and Sports of Somalia and Hon. Muna Seid, State Minister of Women and Social Affairs, Ethiopia.

Uganda was represented by Dr Hassan Wasswa Galiwango, High Commissioner to Kenya, and Djibouti by its Counsellor to Kenya, Ms Hibaa-Haibado Ismael Housse. Others were Dr Rhuks Ako, representing the AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security represented the AU and Ms Elizabeth Mutunga, Head of the Governance, Peace and Security, COMESA Secretariat.