Insider Mediation For Conflict And Peace Building Project Launched
Seyaka Sonko, the Minister of Interior on Wednesday launched the project on Insider mediation for conflict and peace building in the Gambia. This was effected in collaboration of his Ministry with WANEP-the Gambia with the support from the European Union and the United Nations Development Program.
The two-day consultative conference was held at the SunSet Beach hotel which would discuss and develop criteria and eligibility of potential insider mediators for conflict prevention and peace building (2023-2026) in the Gambia.
The project aims to contribute towards to government’s efforts in advancing one of the key recommendations of the TRRC reports accepted by the government in its White Paper.
The infrastructure for peace project also aimed at establishing a national platform, the Peace and Reconciliation Commission (PRC) that will contribute towards the consolidation of peace and reconciliation in the Gambia.
The initiative also aimed to identify peace mediation (inside mediators) who possess the legitimacy and cultural sensitivity to mediate conflicts and build their capacities and enhance national coordination and networking on insider mediation.
In his launching statement, Minister Sonko said the socio political and economic transformation of the country depends on durable peace which requires capacities and structures to deal with the range of conflicts and security threats that most immediately affect the communities.
He said the project will strengthen the platforms and mechanisms for conflict prevention and a key component and building block of a broader infrastructure of peace that will coordinate and oversee the peace building and conflict prevention agenda in the Gambia.
For his part, EU Ambassador to the Gambia, CorradoPampaloni said the EU in partnership with UNDP recognizes that Insider Mediation is thus a highly relevant and sustainable tool to mediating peace.
He advanced that national ownership of peace mediation networks is key for conflict prevention. Adding that it is therefore an encouraging sign to see a range of government and civil society representatives at the conference.
For her part, Ms Nana Chinbuah, UNDP deputy resident representative said since 2017, the government and civil society have furthered efforts to establish a national Infrastructure for Peace in the Gambia with support from international partners.
She said the UNDP is currently co-convening a project funded by the Peace building Fund that institutionalizes these efforts, implementing a key recommendation of the post-TRRC.
National Network Coordinator for WANEP, Ms Salama Njie said the project will complement the existing national infrastructure for peace project which contributes towards the government’s efforts in advancing one of the key recommendations of the TRRC report.
