http://www.euractiv.com/development-policy/development-goes-hand-hand-peace-news-528112
Development goes hand-in-hand with peacemaking, EU official says
Published 29 May 2013
Tags development aid, Horn of Africa, peace and security, peacemaking, poverty
Poverty is aggravated by the absence of peace and security, so the EU should not only provide development aid to but also get actively involved in negotiating solutions to conflict, said the EU special representative to the Horn of Africa.
Speaking at a high-level conference on peacemaking and mediation, Alexander Rondos stressed the EU should be more decisive in participating as a full-fledged actor in peacemaking processes and enhance its mediation capacity.
“Since we are financing [development], we are shareholders and shareholders have a vote,” he said stressing the EU is accountable to its taxpayers for the money it spends, and this is an argument that should be pushed in order to open doors at the negotiating table.
Drawing on his experience after 18 months in the Horn of Africa, Rondos said it is the only leverage that can be used in countries where the EU cannot use the prospect of an association agreement.
“To engage in a conversation for lasting peace we need to say: If you want us around [providing development aid], we also have an interest in creating lasting peace in the Horn of Africa,” he said, arguing for bringing regional neighbours at the table.
Finding a solution in the Horn of Africa is even more complex as “we are beyond the day when it was fashionable to have a victory of one against the other.”
The Horn of Africa - Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti and Sudan - is grappling with an overlay of conflicts and humanitarian challenges. The region is prone to droughts and food insecurity as well as territorial and interethnic disputes, making it one of the biggest recipients of development and relief aid.
The EU also operates an anti-pirate patrol mission of the coast of Somalia.
“The point is to create security conditions that would allow Somali to engage in the type of discussion where they could make the compromises to go through a transition which would allow somewhat more normal politics,” he added.
To date, the EU is the biggest donor to Somalia, having committed €215.4 million for 2008 to 2013, of which €55 million was allocated for economic development and food security. The EU is also a major donor to Kenya, Ethiopia and Eritrea and supports UN relief operations in the region.
Mediation as an EU policy tool
Echoing Rondos, Oliver Wils from the Berghof Foundation said the EU should not just look at the high-level mediation only.
“Being in the spotlight, although relevant, will more or less diminish in the coming years, because issues have become more complex,” he said, adding that peace agreements go more into details of power sharing and resources distribution.
There is also an increase in the number of actors, not least the BRICS countries and Turkey, in the sphere of mediators, but also civil society and local actors.
Even though mediating between conflict parties carries certain political risks, the EU must use both a strong strategic understanding at headquarters and a decentralized approach in the conflict area, Wils added.
Since the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, which has empowered the EU to play a growing political role on the global scene, the institutional restructuring, including the EEAS, has also focused on supporting peace processes through mediation. It has even created a division focusing on conflict prevention and mediation instruments.
Although some are sceptical about the EU peace mediation role, the EU has continued building its expertise in the area.
“Now we need to integrate peace mediation in all our activities,” said Catherine Wollard, executive director of the European Peacebuilding Liaison Office.
Received on Wed May 29 2013 - 15:21:18 EDT