Index
Burkina Faso News
Mali News
Niger News
BURKINA FASO
[SSG/R] Follow-up to the Bamako conference on security sector resource management
The Supreme Authority for State Supervision and Anti-Corruption (ASCE-LC), whose responsibilities include the administrative supervision of public services and the coordination of internal supervisory bodies, is a leading resource management partner of DCAF in Burkina Faso.
In the wake of the conference on best practices in resource management in the defence and security sector, held in Bamako in March 2021, the ASCE-LC committed to stage a follow-up event with a view to ensuring that representatives of the institutions present in Bamako fully embrace the conclusions of the conference. On 23 July, DCAF worked alongside these actors involved in security sector resource management to produce an operational action plan.
MALI
[RSS-Gender] Women and violent extremism in West Africa
On 19 August, in conjunction with the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), DCAF staged a workshop to present the recommendations on women and violent extremism in West Africa. These recommendations are part of the ISS's report on "Violent extremism, organised crime and local conflicts in Liptako-Gourma".
The workshop set out to increase awareness of the factors that drive violence, especially gender-based violence, for the purpose of developing preventive and responsive measures underpinned by contextualised empirical data. The gender-focused units of State institutions and organisations focused on gender equality involved in this workshop welcomed the prominence now being given to the issue of gender-based violence.
NIGER
[Media & DSF] Validating the joint Media-DSF guide
In 2020, the Consortium comprising GeoAnalytics Center (GeoA), the Local Initiative Support Network (RAIL) and the Network of Journalists for Security and Conflict Prevention (RJ-SPC) teamed up with DCAF to launch the multi-stakeholder platform Media-Defence and Security Forces (DSF) in Niger. This platform is designed to enhance cooperation and facilitate communication between the two stakeholders, in a bid to increase transparency, improve access to information and promote good governance.
With the support of DCAF, a guide was produced to clearly set out the particular role and modus operandi of every stakeholder, with a view to regulating the various tasks within a framework of mutual trust. The guide can be used and distributed by all the stakeholders involved. A validation workshop was held on 14 July to accommodate the recommendations of the stakeholders and adapt the guide to their particular needs.
[Internal oversight] Enhancing the skills of the staff of Mediator of the Republic
Between 9 and 12 August 2021, the DCAF office in Niamey and DCAF's policy and research division (PRD) jointly organized an event aimed at improving the ability of office of the Mediator of the Republic to enhance security governance, on the one hand, and to prevent and mitigate the effects of conflicts, on the other. Attended by the Mediator staff located in both the capital and the regions, the workshop set out to promote respect for human rights and to establish grievance resolution procedures in a bid to ultimately prevent abuses.
The staff of the Mediator of the Republic were shown how to effectively implement the reporting procedures and briefed on the role they can play in improving security sector governance.
[RSS & Media] Enhancing the skills of journalists
In partnership with the Association of Journalists for Security and Migration (AJSM), DCAF organised a training event on 24-25 August for journalists, civil society organisations and DSF, focusing on respect for human rights in conflict zones and the security of journalists. Journalists were informed of the basic individual and collective security measures they should take when they are asked to cover events in conflict zones and were also given the opportunity to develop a clearer understanding of the role and responsibilities of DSF and of the security challenges in the region of Liptako Gourma.