21-11-2019 (PORT SUDAN, SUDAN) – The IGAD Mediation Support Unit (MSU) in partnership with the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD) yesterday concluded a three-day workshop on capacity building and provision of technical assistance to key national institutions, CSOs and states in mediation, conflict prevention and conflict management in Port Sudan, Sudan.
This workshop was held against the backdrop of the 2016 Assessment on the Conflict Prevention and Mediation Architectures at National Level, which highlighted the gaps in national institutions on engaging in mediation.
During the workshop, participants reviewed the 2016 assessment and made inputs on the changes in key institutions since the ouster of President Omar Al Bashir regime and came up with notable recommendations for engagements with IGAD-MSU.
The workshop not only sought to identify the key institutions that work in areas of peace building, negotiation, mediation in Sudan but it also sought to map out and plan ways of future engagements in which the MSU can undertake in Sudan by providing technical assistance and capacities.
The participants came up with several recommendations to IGAD- MSU and top amongst the recommendations was the idea to set up parallel Mediation Support Units in Sudan that will work hand in hand with IGAD- MSU, AU -MSU and the UN-MSU. The suggested body will assist in coordinating and capacitating key institutions that work in preventive diplomacy in Sudan as well as look into issues of regional collaboration for best practices and lessons learned.
The training was attended by members of the diplomatic corps, members of the uniformed forces, academia, media practitioners, CSOs and representatives from Kordofan, Darfur, Blue Nile, Nuba Mountains and Abei States.
The IGAD MSU has also carried out a similar workshop in Kenya and will in a few days have one in Numule, South Sudan.
The workshop was conducted through the financial support of the European Union through the IPPSHAR Programme being implemented by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA).
