By: OSMAN A.M.
HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – The University of Hargeisa (UOH)’S institute of Peace and Conflict Studies-IPCS in collaboration with Italy’s Scuola Superiore Santa Ana based in Pisa have launched an international peace building course in Hargeisa, Somaliland.
The training entitled ‘Introduction to peace building and peace operations for civilian personnel’ was financially funded by the Italian Foreign Affairs Ministry department of global affairs and will go on till 20th February 2014 at UOH’s main campus.
The Director of institute of peace & conflict studies welcomed the participant to the inauguration of the training by initiating awareness on the different typologies of field operations and their evolution in the last decade. The institute Director also raised awareness in the differences between peace keeping operations, peacemaking, peace enforcement, humanitarian intervention, humanitarian assistance & other similar field operations. The institute Director Adam Haji Ali familiarized the participants with the main actors involved in peace keeping & peace building operations.
Prof. Andrea de Guttery the Director for International Training Programme for Conflict Management (ITPCM)gave a presentation dabbed crisis management operations: An introduction to peace keeping mission life cycle wherein he made participants understand the decision-making mechanism leading to the creation of a peace keeping/peace building operation and the institutional architecture of the same. Prof. Andrea also briefly explained the different roles played by the UNSC, SG, DPKO,DFS, SRSG & other UN organs and stressed on the importance of the mandate of the mission & how to properly interpret it coupled with the way a mission is financed. The Prof. raised awareness on the role of UN member States in the delivery of a peace keeping operation.
In his second part of the presentation, Prof. Andrea discussed on the role of the different components of peace keeping operations (PKO’s) obtained through military, police & civilians before explaining the evolution of PKO’s from the first generation to the fourth. The institute Director also highlighted on the reasons why a PKO is closed or terminates its mandate.
He also explored about the recent trends of decentralizing peace keeping/peace operations to regional organizations or to coalitions of the willing and the challenge that the new situation presents to the UN. The Prof. narrated about the peace keeping operations and the immunities & privileges enjoyed by its personnel. As regards on the status of the peace keeping mission personnel, the Prof. underscored about the laws peace keepers are supposed to obey & enforce once the mission started before exploring on the consequences of breaching the law applicable to peace keeping operations.
With regard to the AU legal & institutional framework for the delivery of peace support operations, IPCS Director Mr. Adam Haji took the participants to the development of establishment of the African Peace & Security architecture by explaining on the dynamics & the role of civilian component within the African Standby Force and familiarized the attendants with the various cross cultural challenges in PKO’s.
The inauguration of the training was attended by UOH’s president Dr. A.H. Gas, Mrs. Zamzam A. Adan, the minister of education, Dr. Saad A. Shire, the minister for planning & the chair of the BOD-UOH and Dr. Mohamed Bihi Yonis , the minister for Foreign Affairs & International Co-operation.
The IPCS which is one of the most active units at the University of Hargeisa has consistently been in the fore front of helping effect positive change and support development initiatives in the country among latest being IPCS Brainstorms Challenges and Threat Factors to Peace in the Country and Nation Commemorates Day of Peace 2013 with Discussions on Challenges and Threat Factors to Peace
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