CCCPA conducted a virtual training on “Dialogue, Negotiation and Mediation” from 15-19 August 2021. The five-day training course aimed to enhance the negotiation and mediation skills of African officials. Twenty diplomats and civil servants from Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Nigeria and South Sudan participated in the training.

During the course, participants were provided with the necessary knowledge, tools and skills to meaningfully contribute to conflict prevention and resolution efforts in the continent. The training draws on Egypt’s extensive experience in these areas and its longstanding commitment to strengthening peace and security across the African continent.

Moreover, participants acquired the skills needed for effective mediation and were briefed on the comparative advantage of mediation vis-à-vis other conflict resolution tools.

Course topics also included negotiation strategies and concepts, the use of information and digital technology in peacemaking, inclusive mediation through the participation of women, as well as engaging with non-state armed groups.

Additionally, the course highlighted the best practices in the field of mediation through showcasing the efforts of international organizations such as the United Nations (UN) and regional organizations such as the African Union (AU) as well as Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms (RECs and RMs).

CCCPA’s Director General Ambassador Ahmed Abdel-Latif reaffirmed “Egypt’s keenness on strengthening African capacities in the area of peacemaking and conflict resolution in order to effectively prevent and respond to the outbreak and exacerbation of conflicts, pointing also to the negative repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, on peace and security dynamics on the continent.

The training comes as part of the project “Enhancing Peace, Security and Stability in Africa”, funded by the Government of Japan through UNDP.