The Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding (CCCPA), in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Union Centre for Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development (AUC-PCRD) based in Cairo, conducted a training course on Integrating Forced Displacement in Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD) efforts in the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa. The training aimed to address the complex peace and security challenges in the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa, which are marked by terrorism, armed conflicts, and unprecedented forced displacement rates due to protracted conflicts, humanitarian crises and climate change. The training brought together officials from several Arab and African countries (South Sudan, Chad, Djibouti, Yemen, Cameroon, Somalia) with the objective of enhancing their capacities to deal with multiple risks, especially by applying the humanitarian-development-peace nexus (HDPN), in order to effectively integrate forcibly displaced persons into PCRD and peacebuilding efforts and tap into their potential in post-conflict situations. Moreover, the training examined the root causes of forced displacement, its impact on communities' stability as well as the interconnections between peacebuilding, forced displacement and climate change. In his opening remarks, Ahmed Abdel-Latif, CCCPA's Director General and Chair of the African Union Network of Think Tanks for Peace (NeTT4Peace), stated that "this training is organized in line with Egypt's steadfast support to achieving peace and stability in Africa and its leadership of PCRD in the continent, and within the framework of the third edition of the AU PCRD Awareness Week taking place on 20-25 November". He added that it was also held in implementation of the MoU signed between CCCPA and the African Union Commission's Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security (AUC DPAPS) last February. Furthermore, Abdel-Latif noted that the training comes within the context of operationalising the relevant Conclusions of the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development that emphasize the need to address displacement crisis through a holistic approach, anchored in the HDPN. He also mentioned that the training addresses one of the main pillars of the COP27 Presidency's "Climate Responses for Sustaining Peace" initiative CRSP on advancing durable solutions to the climate-displacement nexus. CCCPA's Director General indicated that the African continent is host to the largest number of internally displaced persons amounting to 44 million, of which 2.7 million in the Horn of Africa, while more than 6 million have been displaced in Sudan since violence erupted mid-April 2023. On the other hand, he added, it is estimated that by 2050, climate change could force up to 100 million people in Africa out of their homes, according to the World Migration Report 2022. Executive Secretary of the AU Center for PCRD, Libakiso Matlho, thanked Egypt for its strong commitment to support PCRD efforts. She highlighted the importance of this training course as the first activity of the AU Center in its operationalisation process. She also praised CCCPA's experience in training and capacity building and expressed her interest in developing cooperation between the two centers. Hiroshi Oka, Ambassador of Japan to Egypt, reaffirmed his country's support for sustainable peace and development in the Red Sea region through cooperation with Egypt and other countries in the region. He mentioned the Tokyo International Conference of African Development (TICAD), which emphasized "the need for protection and support to forcibly displaced people" in its TICAD8 Tunis Declaration (August 2022). He also stressed the importance of peace and stability in the Red Sea region and explained that Japan has contributed to both maritime security and land development in the region. He cited Japan's Anti-Piracy operation off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden as an example of its maritime security activities. He also discussed the progress made on triangular cooperation between Japan, Egypt and countries in the region, following the successful round-table discussion held in January this year to explore future possibilities of cooperation between Japan and Egypt in the region, including triangular cooperation on capacity building in the field of health. He mentioned the plan to accept 150 additional scholarship students from Sub-Saharan countries to E-JUST (Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology), which was established by cooperation between Japan and Egypt, on top of the other scholarship students already accepted to the University from African countries. He expressed his hope to receive many applications from countries in the Red Sea region as well.
