June, 2010

E-BRIEF

This E-Brief is a collaborative work between the Institute of Security Studies, Club de Madrid and Isis Women’s International Cross Cultural Exchange

The Women Leadership for Peace and Security in the Greater Horn of Africa Project is supported by the Governments of Germany,
Norway, Belgium and Iceland and the Hunt Alternatives Fund
 ABOUT US
WLPS AND THE G40
E-BRIEF June, 2010
The Women’s Leadership for Peace and Security
in the Greater Horn of Africa (WLPS) project is a
partnership by the Institute for Security Studies
(ISS) Club de Madrid (CdM) and Isis Women’s
International Cross-Cultural Exchange (Isis-
WICCE) that seeks to enhance the participation and
contribution of women in national and regional
peace and security decision-making.
Despite national, regional and international
commitments, gaps still exist in the involvement of
women and women’s organisations in the processes
of peace negotiations, peace building and post
conflict reconstruction. The Women’s Leadership
for Peace and Security in the Greater Horn
of Africa project therefore seeks to contribute to
women’s meaningful participation in peace
processes. In particular, the project seeks to build
women’s skills and capacities in peace and security
related issues, foster networking opportunities for
women in the region and create forums in which
women can engage with officials from national,
regional, continental and international institutions
charged with peace and security.
This initiative is focused on the Greater Horn of
Africa: Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia,
Somaliland, Puntland, North and South Sudan
and Uganda – and targets a group of 40 women
leaders, or G40 as they otherwise referred to.
The project is supported by the governments of
Germany, Norway, Belgium and Iceland as well as
as the Hunt Alternatives Fund
WLPS MISSIONS
G40 convene on five high level
missions
With the support and collaboration of the governments of Germany,
Norway, Belgium and Iceland as well as as the Hunt Alternatives Fund
the WLPS project has, between October 2009 and May 2010,
organised five high level missions. The first, to Addis Ababa and co-
chaired by Club de Madrid members Kim Campbell and Mary
Robinson, focused on the African Peace and Security Architecture,
whilst the second to Uganda, chaired by Club de Madrid member
Valdis Birkavs, concentrated on Uganda’s Peace Recovery and
Development Programme (PRDP). The third mission, also chaired by
Valdis Birkavs, was held in Djibouti. It examined (i) critical issues
affecting the human security of women in Djibouti; (ii) the impact of
regional peace and security issues on Djibouti; (iv) the Security Plan
for Somalia and its implications for women; (iv) IGAD’s peace and
security architecture and its activities to bring peace to the
region. Held in Nairobi and co-chaired by Club de Madrid members
Kjell Magne Bondevik and Valdis Birkavs the fourth
mission reviewed (i) critical issues and challenges of impending
elections in the region in 2010-2011, and implications for women’s
participation in the electoral processes; (ii) Internationally-assisted
plans and processes supporting peace and security in Somalia and the
engagement of women in national and international decision-making
fora: constitutional development processes and policymaking and
strategies to address the security challenges facing the Somalia
population. The fifth and most recent high level mission on Sudan, a
post-election strategy workshop held in Nairobi, chaired by Valdis
Birkavs, reflected on the performance of Sudan’s first multiparty
elections since 1986, drawing lessons for promoting good practice in
electoral conflict management as attention now shifts to the South
Sudan referendum election in January, 2011. Valdis Birkavs has
chaired four consecutive missions and continues to be committed to
the long term goals of the project. 1
 G40 DEVELOP KEY
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
CONFLICT PREVENTION
Sudan high level mission
E-BRIEF June, 2010

Subsequent to the post election strategy workshop on Sudan,

hosted in Nairobi, Kenya from the 26th – 27th May, 2010 the
G40 developed Key Recommendations for Conflict
Prevention in the lead up to the Referendum in Sudan.
G40 members engage with Kenyan Electoral Commissioners to
develop key recommendations during working group sessions in
The two day high level mission, led by former Prime
Nairobi, Kenya.
Minister of Latvia and Club de Madrid member Valdis
Birkavs and in collaboration with UNDP Kenya, reflected on
Sudan’s first multi party elections in 24 years (April 11th - creation of a comprehensive strategy/plan of support by the

15th, 2010) and drew lessons for promoting good practice in
electoral conflict management. The G40 drew from Kenya’s
national dialogue and reconciliation process and institutions
and also shared their experience
of engagement in the Sudanese
international community, AU and IGAD for a fast changing
political environment. Civil society should coordinate
activities and an information sharing mechanism in relation
to the referendum as well as engage in
mapping exercises to determine a

electoral process, in particular coordinated network of institutions and

through civic and voter organisations engaged in peace building
education campaigns. and conflict management; finally the AU,
IGAD, international community and
The key recommendations government must promote women’s

developed to prevent potential participation in conflict prevention and

Club de Madrid member and former prime minister Valdis peace processes at all levels.
referendum violence focused on: Birkavs co-chairs a roundtable with Gladwell Otieno,
Raising awareness through an former head of Transparency International and founding
member of Africa Centre for Open Governance (AfriCOG)
inclusive national forum, broad
civil society dialogue and civic
education and media, amongst other portals; Enhanced
early warning and quick response mechanisms, including
a strengthened AU and IGAD early warning system at the
“As the Comprehensive Peace Agreement enters
local level, utilisation of instruments such as Ushahidi to its final stage with wide-ranging implications for
collect and distribute crisis data as well as the creation of the post-referendum period, far more resources and
energy - both Sudanese and international - need to
rapid response units and database of conflict mediators at all
be devoted to violence prevention and
levels by the Sudanese government; To ensure protection of reconciliation efforts and activities.”
civilians UNAMID must reach all conflict areas so that it
G40 Statement on conflict prevention strategies -
can effectively carry out its mandate. The international Sudan
community, AU and IGAD should also maintain a spotlight
on human rights violations in Sudan through pre and post
referendum phases, as well as ensure the protection of human
rights activists and other witnesses of human rights
violations; Coordination and communication through the

Women Leadership for Peace and Security in the Greater Horn of Africa 2
 G40 SUBMITS
RECOMMENDATIONS ON
SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN
E-BRIEF June, 2010

CONFLICT TO UN SPECIAL
REPRESENTATIVE

On 19th May, 2010 the G40 put forward their assessment

and recommendations on the status of violence against
women in the Horn of Africa to Margot Wallström, Special
Representative of the UN Secretary General on Sexual “...we are not just protecting women from
violence, but empowering them to become
Violence in Conflict, who presented her five point priority
agents of change”
agenda on sexual violence in situations of armed conflict at
SRSG Margot Wallström
a consultation meeting held with Brussels based civil
society organisations.

Ms. Wallström, adding on to her own observations on

violence against women in the DRC, looked to gain further Ms. Ahmed added that “...perpetrators go unpunished while
insight from civil society on the ground working on peace the victims are left untreated, un-rehabilitated and without
and security issues. The G40 submitted recommendations reparation.”
from Sudan, with particular focus on the Darfur region,
Maha Elzein, Regional Coordinator of Peace Women
Somalia South Central, Puntland and Somaliland.
Across the Globe (PWAG) and G40 member, stressed the
Batula Mursal, of We Are Women Activists (WAWA) and need for increased participation of women in peace keeping
G40 member, highlighted the state of anarchy, lawlessness missions, especially in the case of Darfur where rape
and political instability due to the lack of a functioning continues to be used as a weapon of war. Ms. Elzein posed
centralised government which contributes to the causes of questions as to why, despite the issue of rape as a weapon of
sexual and gender based violence (SGBV) in Somalia; the war having been raised at local, regional and international
lack of legal protection for women and children, lack of levels, progress has not been made.
laws against SGBV, low level of prosecutions, The G40 communicated their observations and
inaccessibility of police and judicial services in relation to
recommendations directly to Margot Wallström with
remote IDP camps and lack of administrative resources and
particular emphasis on the G40’s two collective
equipment by local courts and security forces.
recommendations: 1) the need to fight impunity and the
Asha Ahmed, Somaliland Focal Point and G40 member, importance of a legal system to protect women from
paid special focus on the plight of the thousands of women violence and 2) the need to build women’s capacities in
and girls raped throughout the Somali conflict and the peace building processes.
unprecedented levels of war crimes committed with
Ms Wallström went on to highlight the Women Leadership
impunity against the female population. Ms. Ahmed
for Peace and Security in the Greater Horn of Africa project
reported on the increased incidents of gang rape of women during the meeting and stated that this was a “...very good
and girls in urban centres, particularly in the poorer areas and serious project, with a long term perspective.”
made up of urban displaced, refugee returnees and rural
displaced populations and the lack of reporting of these
crimes.

Women Leadership for Peace and Security in the Greater Horn of Africa 3
 GLOBAL OPEN DAY
MARKS 10 YEARS OF
RESOLUTION 1325
E-BRIEF June, 2010
G40 make up task
force
Three G40 members and six G40
associates from Somalia attended an
Open Day hosted in Nairobi , Kenya
from the 8th – 9th June 2010 in line
with an international initiative of
Global Open Days hosted by the UN
in coordination with this year’s ten
year anniversary of Security Council
Resolution 1325.
The Open Day saw the Special
Representative of the Secretary
General and the Resident
Coordinator/ Humanitarian
Coordinator for Somalia open their
doors to consult with women peace
leaders and peace advocates on
women, peace and security.
Twenty women, as well as UNPOS
and UNIFEM representatives, made RECOMMENDATIONS TO
up a preparatory meeting panel that EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
selected six themes as priorities for
Somali women: women and political
participation, peace and security,
gender based violence, women and
education, economical constraint and
infrastructure and employment.
Women Leadership for Peace and Security in the Greater Horn of Africa
Somalia and Eritrea, and the
situation in Ethiopia and Sudan in
light of upcoming elections. G40
Photo Copyright UNIFEM member Asli Duale contributed to
Somali women spoke out on various the conference writing a note on the
women, peace and security issues in
relation to SRC 1325 at the Global Open situation in the southern and central
Day event in Nairobi, Kenya.
regions in Somalia. Ms. Duale called
for “immediate actions” in situations
During the preparatory meeting a
involving human safety and security
task force was identified to monitor
and provision of safe havens isolated
the implementation of Resolution
from war zones. International guards
1325. G40 member Batula Mursal
and humanitarian assistance, noted
was selected as a member of the task
Ms. Duale, “...are certain to save
force and will work to represent the
lives and shed a beam of hope on
G40 to support UN agencies in
millions of people.”
overseeing the implementation of
Resolution 1325 and other Security
Asma Ismail, of the Institute for the
Council
Development of Civil Society
Resolutions that concern women’s
(IDCS) in Sudan and G40 member,
issues.
submitted the preliminary report of
CHALLENGES IN the Sudanese Group for Democracy
THE HORN OF and Elections (SUGDE) and the
AFRICA Sudanese Network for Democratic
G40 SUBMIT
Elections (SUNDE), a coordinated
non-partisan election monitoring
effort for North and South Sudan.
The European parliament hosted a
Ms. Ismail played a crucial role in
conference on Challenges in the
the coalition’s domestic polling
Horn of Africa on the 26th April,
observation, which saw over 4,300
2010. The conference focused on
election observers deployed to over
three key issues; political and
2,000 polling stations in 25 states of
security challenges in the Horn of
Sudan.
Africa, specifically in relation to
4
 Have you seen our WLPS
Word Bubble? The WLPS Word
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For any enquiries please

contact:

Einas Mansour
Communications

einas.mansour@gmail.com