March 14-16, 2021 (Khartoum, Sudan): A training workshop on Monitoring of agreements for women and youth of Sudan that is organized by the Peace and Security Division in collaboration with the IGAD Gender Unit has started taking place on 14^th march 2021. Amb. Osman Bilal, the IGAD Head of Mission in Sudan, has officially opened this training workshop on behalf of the Executive Secretary of IGAD and The Director of IGAD Peace and Security Division. Ms Sulaima Elkhalifa representing the Sudan IWPSF members has also made remarks.

The Overall objective of this training is to build a community based monitoring process of the signed peace agreements and the potential peace agreements to reach with in the country in the future. The workshop is taking place in Khartoum, Sudan from 14-16 March, 2021. It has brought together participants from South Sudan as well to share their experience in monitoring of agreements with their Sudanese peers. During their three days training workshop, issues related to Peace monitoring in the CPA, other current issues in Sudan related to Peace agreements and Women and youth engagement in monitoring of Agreements will be discussed.

The workshop is organized through the support of the European Union(EU)‘s  IGAD Promoting Peace and Stability in the Horn of Africa Region (IPPSHAR) Programme. The main objective of the EU -IPPSHAR programme is to contribute to achieving peace, security and stability for the attainment of economic integration and development of the IGAD region.

March 15, 2021 (Juba-South Sudan): The IGAD Mediation Support Unit has convened an experience sharing workshop for the South Sudan Mediation Committee (The Mediation Committee) for the Sudanese Peace Talks. The workshop has convened mediators to the Sudanese peace talks, mediation & peacebuilding experts from the region and representatives from regional mechanisms to share experiences, exchange knowledge and insights on mediation processes.

It is recalled that the Government of the Republic of South Sudan, through a bilateral initiative, engaged Sudan to mediate in the recent conflict. This initiative was welcomed by the international community and IGAD through its 13^th Extra-Ordinary Summit. The secretariat of the mediation committee shared their experiences in facilitating the peace talks, and mediating in the conflicts even in times of Covid-19 Pandemic.

This workshop is conducted with the financial support of the European Union through the EUTF for- IGAD Promoting Peace and Stability in the Horn of Africa (IPPSHAR) Programme, with the implementing partner Austrian Development Agency (ADA).

13 MARCH 2021 ( Bishoftu, Ethiopia): The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Peace and Security Division (PSD)  started five days Capacity Building Training on Post Conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD) for Officials and Senior Experts of Ministry of Peace and Peace and Security Bureaus of Regional States of the Federal Democratic of Ethiopia .

10 March 2021 - Mombasa (Kenya): The IGAD Security Sector Program (IGAD-SSP) has successfully concluded a three-days national training on Border Security and Traveler Identification Systems in the Aviation Domain. The objective of the training was to enhance the capacity of officials in the border security immigration and customs of Kenya - focusing on air travel - to effectively prevent, detect, and intercept the entry or transit of suspected terrorists, foreign terrorist fighters and other serious criminals when such individuals attempt to enter or transit through airports with the use of biometric data and advanced traveler identification methods. The training has also explored the disruptions that followed the Covid-19 outbreak, and the impact of the pandemic on airport security and passenger screening.

The training was conducted – virtually - by senior border security experts. In addition, high-level officials from UN Center for Counter Terrorism (UNCCT) and INTERPOL also shared their perspectives and expertise during the three-day event.

The contents covered included:

• Concepts on border security management (BSM)
• Impact of Covid-19 on border management, airport security and the risk of bioterrorism
• Advanced Traveler Information Systems – concepts and applications on BSM, with emphasis on air travel (API, PNR)
• Conventions, Standards and Recommended Practices of IATA, ICAO; ICAO’s Traveler Identification Program (TRIP) strategy
• Border Security and Management Good Practices to prevent the cross-border movement of terrorists and FTF. The counter-terrorism component within the Border Security and Management Strategies (UNCCT)
• Travel Documents Analysis
• The role of new technologies to interdict terrorist travel: Responsible use and sharing of biometrics (UNCCT)
• Integrated Border Management
• UNSC resolutions and other international legal instruments in preventing and intercepting the travel of suspected terrorists, FTFs and other serious criminals
• Importance of international cooperation and INTERPOL tools for border security in aviation domain (INTERPOL)

The national training was attended by senior officials from Immigration, Joint Operation Center of Kenya’s border management, Customs, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Opening and closing remarks were delivered by Commander Abebe Muluneh, Director of IGAD Security Sector Program, during which he highlighted the unique challenges posed by porous borders and weak border infrastructure, the gaps of which members of transnational organized criminal groups, such as the terrorist groups in the region and FTFs exploit for their criminal ends.

Commander Abebe noted that “States should recognize the importance of securing these borders and the need for cross-border cooperation that allows inter-agency and neighboring border security agencies and border communities to collaborate with one another in a holistic way. States should understand that a multilateral, coordinated approach to border management is integral to addressing the myriad of threats and challenges each State faces individually.”

One of the objectives of the IGAD Security Sector Program is enhancing institutional and human capacities of Member States to effectively address emerging, evolving, and existing transnational security threats (EEE-TSTs) in order to contribute to regional peace and stability, and foster enabling environment for regional integration and development of the sub-region, under which this training was conducted.

The training was conducted with the financial support from the European Union Trust Fund (EUTF) through the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) under the IPPSHAR Program.

24 February 2021 Bishfotu (ETHIOPIA): The IGAD Security Sector Program (IGAD SSP) has successfully concluded a three-days national training on Border Security and Traveler Identification Systems on the Aviation Domain. The objective of the training was to enhance the capacity of officials in the aviation security, immigration and intelligence of Ethiopia to effectively prevent, detect, and intercept the entry or transit of suspected terrorists, foreign terrorist fighters and other serious criminals when such individuals attempt to enter or transit through airports with the use of biometric data and advanced traveler identification methods. The training was also intended to explore the disruptions that followed the Covid-19 outbreak, and the impact of the pandemic on airport security and passenger screening.

The training was conducted – virtually - by senior border security experts. INTERPOL and AIRCOP also participated in the training.

The contents covered included:

• Concepts on border security management (BSM)
• Impact of Covid-19 on BSM and airport security
• Advanced Traveler Information Systems – concepts and applications on BSM, with emphasis on aviation travel (API, PNR)
• Conventions, Standards and Recommended Practices of IATA, ICAO, ACI
• ICAO’s Traveler Identification Program (TRIP) strategy
• Travel Documents Analysis
• Biometrics and its uses in travel documents and traveler identification
• Integrated Border Management
• UNSC resolutions and other international legal instruments in preventing and intercepting the travel of suspected terrorists, FTFs and other serious criminals
• Importance of international cooperation and INTERPOL tools for border security in aviation domain (INTERPOL)
• Real-time operational communication between international airports against transnational organized crime and terrorism (AIRCOP)

In addition, the delegates visited Ethiopian Airlines Aviation Academy and Ethiopian Cargo.

The national training was attended by senior officials from National Intelligence and Security Services, Immigration and Nationality Agency, Civil Aviation Authority, and Airport Security. The training was started with opening remarks of Commander Abebe Muluneh, Director of IGAD Security Sector Program, and ended with closing remarks by Solomon Debebe Senior Advisor to the Group CEO, and Solomon Asres, Vice President of Human Resources of Ethiopian Airlines.

One of the objectives of the IGAD Security Sector Program is enhancing institutional and human capacities of Member States to effectively address emerging, evolving, and existing transnational security threats (EEE-TSTs) in order to contribute to regional peace and stability, and foster enabling environment for regional integration and development of the sub-region, under which this training was conducted.

The training was conducted with the financial support from the European Union Trust Fund (EUTF) through the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) under the IPPSHAR Program.