1 July 2023 - Bishoftu, Ethiopia: The IGAD Security Sector Program (IGAD SSP) has successfully kicked off a National Workshop for Ethiopia’s Federal and Regional Security Sector Officials to Promote Interagency Cooperation and Coordination in Addressing the Transnational Security Threats. The workshop is meant to enhance the interdepartmental cooperation among these institutions that are directly dealing with the various security threats that are prevalent in the country and beyond.
IGAD Security Sector Program (IGAD SSP) was established pursuant to the regional peace and security strategy to address Transnational Security Threats (TSTs). The overall objective of IGAD SSP is to promote and strengthen regional and national capacities to better predict, prevent and counter TSTs and thereby contribute to regional peace and stability in the IGAD region. According to the IGAD Regional Comprehensive Vulnerability Assessment, the region and the individual states are very vulnerable and affected by various serious organized crimes, terrorism, maritime insecurity, and other crimes at national and regional levels. The assessment provided a detailed account of the security threats affecting the States and provided concrete recommendations to prevent and counter these threats.
This 2-day National Training brought together about 42 senior security officials and high-level practitioners, experts, youths from different communities, and focal points drawn from national and regional security institutions. This workshop addresses the implementation mechanisms at both regional and national levels; discusses and consults on the implementation and evaluation mechanism that enables to plan, follow up and evaluate the activities incorporated in the national and transnational security threats.
Furthermore, it enhances their interdepartmental cooperation, coordination, and information and intelligence sharing at the national level and beyond. In addition to the discussion, collect inputs for the validation of mechanisms on national security in an effort to harmonize with the global or regional strategy of preventing security threats, terrorism, cyber security, the proliferation of small arms and weapons, and illegal human trafficking.
On behalf of H.E Doctor Workneh Gebeyehu, Executive Secretary of IGAD; Commander Abebe Muluneh Beyene, the Director of IGAD SSP, Head of IGAD Mission to Ethiopia, has delivered the key Note speech and expressed his sincerest gratitude to the Government of Ethiopia for facilitation with particular thanks to the Prime Minister Office National Security Advisor to this partnership, cooperation for this workshop; also, he thanked the European Union and ADA for their generous support towards this event.
Commander Abebe has reaffirmed the lead role of IGAD to bring sustainable peace and security in the region by enhancing and enabling member states’ security sector capacities to address common transitional security threats (TSTs), thus endangering sustainable economic development. He mentioned that developing an inclusive national vision for security sector development; which takes into account the full, equal, and meaningful participation of the public including women and youth is vital to achieving saved and more secure communities in our region. He put more emphasis on the integral part of joint coordinated efforts. As such, these complex changes can only be achieved and brought about through concerted and well-coordinated efforts undertaken by a range of local, national, regional, and international peace and security sector actors working in partnership to achieve a common goal – sustainable peace and securit. H.E Alemtsihay Paulos – Minister of the Prime Minister Office and the Cabinet Affairs officially openned the training workshop by apprecaited the support of IGAD to Ethiopia, which requires to be strengthened further. She also emphasized that Ethiopia is committed to IGAD and continued to strengthen its move for regional integration.
This national workshop is organized with the financial support from the European Union through European Union Trust Fund (EUTF), which is being implemented by IGAD SSP and the Austrian Development Agency (ADA).