Training Workshop on Formulating/Updating the Security Sector Reform/Transformation (SSR/T) and Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) strategies for South Sudan

November 9, 2020 – Juba – The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Security Sector Program (IGAD SSP) has kicked of a five-days national training workshop in Juba, with high level officials from the Government of South Sudan to contribute to the development of security sector transformation policy framework. The training is conducting with the financial support from the European Union Trust Fund (EUTF) through the IPPSHAR Program that is being implemented by IGAD SSP and the Austrian Development Agency (ADA).

The workshop was officially opened by Hon. Angelina Tenythe, South Sudan’s Minister of Defense and Veterans’ Affairs. In her opening remarks, Hon. Tenythe expressed her appreciations to IGAD SSP for this important and key initiative stating “this workshop is organized at a very important moment for South Sudan and will be a very fruitful learning process for all of us who have roles and responsibilities, so this training organized by IGAD is coming at an opportune moment”. She further emphasized that “we are looking at IGAD to support us as a guarantor of this peace process and together with IGAD we approach partners to mobilize more support and establish sustainable peace, as Transitional Security Arrangement needs more and huge support from our international partners”.

The Director of IGAD SSP, Commander Abebe Muluneh, in his opening remarks highlighted the aim of this national training workshop by stating that it is to contribute to the enhancement of institutional capacities of the relevant South Sudan Government officials in formulating and updating the national SSR and DDR related strategies, leveraging on strengths and opportunities to improve the rule of law.  Furthermore, he mentioned that “Security Sector Reform is the transformation of the security system, which includes all the actors, their roles, responsibilities and actions, so that it is managed and operated in a manner that is more consistent with democratic norms and sound principles of good governance, and thus, contributes to well-functioning security-framework”.

Commander Abebe emphasized that “our training today is the continuation of IGAD SSP effort that is linked with the 2014 ‘National Assessment on the needs and relevance of Security Sector Reform/Transformation and DDR for the republic of South Sudan’ so precisely it is expected to outline standards, roadmaps and applied measures; which could guide a process to comprehensive SSR and DDR processes”

On behalf EU Delegation in South Sudan, Mr. Alessandro Rossi, Head of Political Section at European Union, has underlined the importance and significance of IGAD’s role in bringing the regional approach, experience and expertise at the launching of this national reform process of the security sector of South Sudan. Moreover, he added that “Security by definition is at the core of State’s defining nature and feature. The integrities of the Security institutions of the State are of greater importance and determine the degree of success of a process of security sector reform or transformation. In the same way, putting the communities and the citizens at the centre of this reform process is of crucial importance”.

During the five days the training workshop will cover the key programmatic areas include SSR & DDR concepts; regional approaches; cross-cutting issues; gender, governance mechanism, policy development and national security policy (NSP). The training also will discuss approaches and requirements for an NSP process and backgrounder to national security strategies as well as identified experiences and lessons learned in Africa.

The training workshop also provides a platform for national and regional technical experts to jointly reflect on the priority areas identified by South Sudan, and also to explore ways through which IGAD, AU and UN can exercise their complementary roles and responsibilities to assist South Sudan in the implementation of SSR and DDR as per the peace agreement.

The participants in the training are drawn from the Judiciary, Ministries of Justice, Defense, Interior, Gender and Social Welfare, Police Force, National Intelligence Service, National DDR Commission and Ministry of Foreign Affairs in addition to representatives of NGOs providing a comprehensive officials with on-hand experience in the subject matter.

Background

• The IGAD Security Sector Program (IGAD SSP) is a comprehensive regional program of IGAD, with a mandate that focuses on supporting Member States both operationally and in capacity building to combat regional and international terrorism activities to enhance the capacity of states to deal with maritime security threats, to contain the intensity and impact of transnational organized crime, and to strengthen the capacity of security institutions.
• The concept of SSR is a crosscutting issue across the areas of operation of IGAD SSP, which is intended to ultimately enhance the capacity of states in their provision of security with respect to the rule of law principles to empower regional coordination.
• IGAD follows the UN Approach to the Rule of Law and SSR Assistance “…the rule of law is a principle of governance in which all persons, institutions and entities, public and private, including the State itself, are accountable to laws.
• As part of IGAD SSP mandate support Member States in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2151 of 2014 on SSR which reiterates the “importance of coordination/collaboration between the different actors involved in supporting security sector reforms”, while recognizing the primacy of national ownership.

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