The Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding (CCCPA) conducted a two-day capacity development workshop titled “Comprehensive and Integrated Approaches to Handle Individuals Formerly Associated with Boko Haram & ISWAP in Nigeria” on 5-6 December 2022. The workshop was held in partnership with the Borno State Government, Neem Foundation, and the Centre for Development and Democracy, and hosted at the Borno State Ministry of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement premises in Maiduguri.

 

The workshop kick started with a high-level opening ceremony, featuring a keynote address by H.E. Executive Governor of Borno State, Professor Babagana Zulum, and remarks by H.E. Honorable Commissioner of Women Affairs and Social Development of Borno State Government, Zuwaira Gambo, as well as H.E. Ihab Awad, Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Nigeria, in the presence of key figures from the Borno State Government.

 

In his keynote address, H.E. Professor Zulum stated he is “delighted to welcome back to Maiduguri, the team from CCCPA, who we have been working closely with throughout the past year, to bring recommendations to reality.” “We look forward to taking further steps together, in pursuit of our common goal of sustainable peace and development in Africa. Through capacitating government officials and technical staff officers with the requisite knowledge and guidance on how to adapt to a shifting landscape and respond to pressing challenges, we arm them with the toolbox to devise their own home-grown, contextualized approaches to confront the realities on the ground. It is through this knowledge that they will be able to effectively handle the current caseload of mass surrenders,” he further added.

 

The workshop brought together key stakeholders from the federal and state levels tasked with handling individuals formerly associated with terrorist groups, including representatives from the  Office of the National Security Advisor, Operation Safe Corridor, Borno State Ministry of Women Affairs & Social Development, Department of State Services, Civilian Joint Task Force, Nigerian Security & Civil Defense Corps, the North East Development Commission, the Borno State Emergency Management Agency, Gwoza Local Government Authority, as well as Bulamas and representatives from various civil society organizations.

The workshop aimed at building lasting Nigerian capacities in the field of design and implementation of comprehensive screening, prosecution, rehabilitation, and reintegration (SPRR) processes. It covered both the strategic and technical aspects of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR); SPRR; and preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE)--shedding light on how these processes take place, both separately and combined. It also highlighted international, regional, and national frameworks relevant to the handling of the current caseload of individuals formerly associated with terrorist groups in northeast Nigeria. The workshop underscored the imperative of adopting a community-centric approach, as well as transitional justice mechanisms, to enhance community resilience and achieve a balance between peace and justice.

Furthermore, the workshop was implemented with a specific focus on the contextualized approach adopted by Borno State Government for handling the current caseload of individuals formerly associated with terrorist groups, bearing in mind that Borno State remains at the epicenter of recent waves of mass defections and is the most impacted by the insurgency. The implementation of the Borno Model comes in line with Borno State Government’s vision for long-term development, peace, and security. It also aligns with federal level initiatives, and a broader national strategy, to manage mass surrenders.

H.E. Honorable Commissioner Zuwaira Gambo, Commissioner of MWASD and General Abdullahi Ishaq, the Special Security Advisor to the Governor, conducted a specialized briefing to present participants with the latest updates on the implementation of the Borno Model. H.E. Honorable Commissioner Gambo highlighted that “the Borno Model is designed to address every aspect of the insurgency--from disarmament, demobilization, and de-radicalization, to rehabilitation, reconciliation and reintegration, referred to now as ‘Triple D, Triple R’--,” the foundation of which was laid out during the consultation process leading up to the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development.”

This activity comes as part of CCCPA’s efforts to implement the recommendations in its report titled “Advancing Holistic and Comprehensive Efforts to Confront Africa’s Growing Terrorism Challenge”. Based on a field mission conducted in Nigeria in December 2021, the report specifically capitalizes on recent, innovative strategies adopted on the federal and state levels to effectively handle the increasing caseload of mass surrenders in northeast Nigeria. The report was officially launched at the Third Edition of the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development in June 2022.

This workshop is implemented with the generous support of the Aswan Forum strategic partners, the Governments of Japan and Sweden, the African Development Bank, and the United Nations Development Programme as an institutional partner.