ECOWAS organises a Training Workshop to strengthen the capacities of stakeholders and institutions on security sector reform and governance
Liberia – (Monrovia) 9th – 12th August 2022
In a bid to strengthen the capacities of stakeholders and institutions in the security sector and relevant oversight realms, between the 9th to 12th of August 2022, the African Security Network (ASSN), facilitated a hybrid workshop in Monrovia, Liberia.
The objective of the workshop was to promote a better understanding of Security Sector Reforms and Governance among core security sector stakeholders. This being the fourth of such workshops, marks the beginning of the second phase of regional trainings to be implemented within ECOWAS member states.
The hybrid training was attended by key stakeholders, including the Liberia Anti- Corruption Commission (LACC), the Law Reform Commission, Anti- Smuggling and Investigations Unit (Customs Department), Liberia National Fire and Rescue Service, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, among others.
During his welcome address, Ambassador Jarjar. M. Kamara (Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs) echoed the enthusiasm with which Liberia is participating with this program, especially in playing host to this important workshop.
Also speaking at the event, Mr Nyenati Tuan, Deputy Minister of Justice (Codification), highlighted national security responsibilities for democratic governance have been officially transferred to the Government of Liberia by The United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL). The minister emphasized the need for more training, networking, logistics and equipment for Security Sector as such, in Liberia, and called on ECOWAS and other partners in this regard.
Her Excellency, Madam Josephine Nkrumah, Special Representative to the President of the ECOWAS Commission to Liberia, stated that adopting the ECOWAS SSRG Policy Framework, means that Member States are now tasked with widely disseminating the principles and elements contained in it, building capacity of security institutions, and supporting Member States to improve their security sectors in a sustainable and sustained manner. “These tasks cannot be performed by a single Member State alone, neither can it be supported by the ECOWAS Commission in isolation”, she iterated.
The Head of the European Union Delegation to Liberia, Ambassador Laurent Delahousse described the longstanding collaboration between ECOWAS and the European Union on regional integration fostering peace. The Ambassador further encouraged participants to work collaboratively in ensuring a peaceful 2023 election for Liberia.
Representing the African Security Sector Network, Dr Uju Agomoh encouraged all the participants to work together and promote the effective dissemination and implementation of the ECOWAS Policy Framework on Security Sector Reform and Governance in Liberia.
The German Ambassador to Liberia, H.E Ambassador Dr. Jakob Haselhuber, stated that the training workshop would be context specific with the participation of a broad range of national stakeholders in the SSRG process and reiterated that German government remains committed to contributing to the creation of a secure and safe post conflict environment in the ECOWAS region.
Representing the Head of the ECOWAS Regional Security Division, (Dr. Abdourahmane Dieng), Captain Mohammed Tukur highlighted the extensive security sector reform (SSR) processes as part of the divisions efforts to consolidate gains by disseminating the principles and elements of SSRG, building capacity of Member States security institutions and stakeholders, and supporting Member States to improve their security sectors in a sustainable manner.
This event was organized with the support of the ECOWAS Peace and Security Architecture and Operations Project (EPSAO), co-funded by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation.
For more information on this event, please contact:
ECOWAS
Col Abdourahmane Dieng
Head of the Regional Security Division; Directorate Peacekeeping & Regional Security ECOWAS Commission
E-mail: aresdieng@yahoo.fr or adieng@ecowas.int
GIZ
Subetta Chansa,
Technical Advisor, GIZ – ECOWAS Peace and Security Architecture Operations Project (ESPAO)
Email: subetta.chansa@giz.de
Photographs below (Slide):