EAC security experts, civil society seek local solutions to conflicts

A meeting to discuss home-grown peace building and conflict prevention initiatives in the region opens today in Bujumbura, Burundi. About 150 peace and security experts, civil society, lawmakers, religious leaders, politicians, and youth representatives from across the East African Community (EAC) partner states are expected to attend the meeting. The second EAC peace and security conference, a three-day event, will be held under the theme, “Promoting a culture of dialogue and tolerance for conflict prevention and peaceful coexistence.” Amb. John Rigi, the permanent secretary in Burundi’s ministry of EAC affairs, said in a news conference in Bujumbura, yesterday, that it is an important conference because peace and security are the mother of sustainable social development. Rigi said: “When there is prosperity, the chances for peace are high. The meeting also comes at the right time because we need to share knowledge and experience from the very best to let our people believe in their coexistence.” “This conference presents the best opportunity to reflect on threats; challenges faced by the EAC in peace and security, but also reflect on the opportunities and achievements so far.”The first such conference was held in Kampala, Uganda, in 2009. Gacaca, ‘Mato Oput’ in limelight Amb. Rigi cited initiatives such as Rwanda’s post-Genocide Gacaca courts, a form of transitional justice designed to promote justice and reconciliation; and Uganda’s ‘Mato Oput,’ the traditional Acholi ritual used to heal northern Uganda’s wounds of war among the home-grown solutions which can be used as blueprint. Mato Oput is the Acholi justice process for bringing reconciliation in the wake of a cruel slaughter by the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army in northern Uganda. According to Joseph Olanyo, a Ugandan journalist, Mato Oput was one of the key peace resolution measures used in Northern Uganda. It is a valuable initiation ceremony where former abductees were required to jump over a chicken egg as they are welcomed back into the community. Participants at today’s meeting are expected to assess peace and security challenges facing their communities, share experiences and best practices, and identify operational steps that can be taken to promote dialogue, tolerance and peaceful coexistence. The conference is being facilitated by the German International Development Agency.

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EAC security experts, civil society seek local solutions to conflicts