06 Jan 2005: Statement: Conclusion of Agreement on Counter-Terrorism Between the ISS and IGAD

The ISS is pleased to announce the conclusion of an agreement with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) on the implementation of the IGAD Counter-Terrorism Project. This agreement, which was signed on 12 December 2004, is the culmination of an extended period of collaboration between the IGAD Secretariat and ISS on countering terrorism with funding from the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ).

A meeting of donors that express interest in supporting the programme will be convened early in January 2005.

Background

At the initiative of the Government of Sudan, a regional response to the threat of terrorism was discussed by the 9th IGAD Summit held in Khartoum in January 2002. Those deliberations led to an IGAD/ISS Conference on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism that was held in Addis Ababa from 24-27 th June 2003 and the preparation of a draft Implementation Plan to Counter Terrorism in the IGAD Region. The Plan was subsequently approved by the 10th IGAD Summit meeting, held in Kampala on 24 th October 2003.

The IGAD Secretariat and the ISS subsequently collaborated in the execution of a regional field research study that sought to map the operational problems experienced by IGAD Member States to counter terrorism. The draft report, “Terrorism in the IGAD Region: Vulnerability and Countermeasures”, was completed during the first quarter of 2004 and presented to IGAD Member States for comment and further input.

The ISS also collaborated with the IGAD Secretariat in the Second IGAD Conference on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism in the IGAD Region, which was held at the Whitesands Hotel, Mombassa, Kenya, from 18-20 October 2004. The meeting defined the project components and content as refined and reflected in the“Project Proposal for Countering Terrorism in the IGAD Region”.

The IGAD Secretariat and the ISS also concluded a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 4 December 2003 in Nairobi that identified the combating of terrorism as one of the areas of collaboration between the two organisations.

The IGAD Secretariat and the ISS have also collaborated on a number of other activities and projects that have served to strengthen the relationship and interaction between the two organisations, including:

• A joint Meeting on Strengthening the role of IGAD in Regional Peace Initiatives and Post-Conflict Reconstruction from 1-3 December 2003 in Nairobi.

• b. Several experts, chiefs of defence staff and ministerial meetings in 2003 and 2004 towards the establishment of Eastern African Standby Brigade (EASBRIG) as a component of the African Standby Force (ASF).

For more information, please contact Dr Jakkie Cilliers, Executive Director, ISS on tel +27 12 346 9500 or e-mail [email protected] or Mr Daniel Yifru, Director, Political and Humanitarian Affairs, IGAD on tel +253 35 48 73 or e-mail [email protected].

Issued by the Institute for Security Studies

Pretoria

6 January 2005