The head of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) mission to Uganda, Ms Joselyn Bigirwa, has said there is a need for countries to profile and address issues likely to cause conflicts in the region to avert emerging crises and ensure its peace and stability.
‘Natural resources-based conflicts are the most common conflicts in the region. The IGAD region is highly dependent on agriculture, natural resources, including mineral extraction, but also a highly pastoralist community where there are a lot of cross-border Trans humans movements, causing a lot of conflicts in the region,’ she said.
According to her, issues like large numbers of educated unemployed youth and mineral exploitation need to be looked into to avert the negative impacts on the region’s stability.
‘In most parts of the region but also beyond the IGAD region, there is a lot of violent extremism majorly by youth because of unemployment that the youth are now engaging in issues of instability and joining rebel groups, something that IGAD must work around to ensure that it does not happen,’ she said at the opening of a three-day IGAD Conflict Early Warning and Response Mechanism (CEWARN) meeting of regional experts from the seven member states in Entebbe on Tuesday.
Ms Bigirwa said the region, being highly conflicted and unstable, has led to low social, economic, and political development.
The Director CEWARN Mr Camlus Omogo, said currently, the regional bloc is facing multiplicity and interrelated conflict drivers, with some emanating from environmental issues, economic and governance challenges.
‘The Horn of Africa has historically faced recurring human security challenges, including political instability, violent conflict, displacement, and environmental shocks’ he said.
He added, ‘By anticipating and analysing these threats, CEWARN and its partners aim to enhance regional cooperation, recognising that many of these crises transcend national borders and require collective resilience and preparedness’.
Mr Omogo said the meeting will equip regional decision makers with actionable insights and predictive analysis that enable proactive and coordinated responses to emerging crises.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary, Mr Vincent Bagiire, in a speech delivered on his behalf by Mr Solomon Kasasira, a Foreign Service officer with the ministry, said there is need for strong governance mechanisms and regional solidarity to curb the region’s shared challenges and conflicts.
‘A secure and peaceful IGAD region will facilitate trade, tourism and investment among the member states and push the per capita incomes and GDP to greater height,’ he said.
Mr Bagiire said Uganda will continue to support strategies aimed at strengthening Government capabilities, peaceful co-existence of different political groups and reintegration of returning refugees.
‘The continued conflicts in the region urgently require our collective attention and action. By closely working with IGAD member states, peace and security can be achieved and lead to economic development for the region’s 280 million people,’ he said.