11 Jan 2001

ICC Briefing No.3: Co-ordination mechanisms in Eritrea

Co-ordination mechanisms are dynamic and constantly evolving in the Eritrean context. The establishment of the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) with its many different echelons plus the Algiers Peace Agreement (signed 12 December 2000) means that there are new actors as well as parts of the country that will become accessible such as the Temporary Security Zone (TSZ). In addition, the stablising situation is giving rise to new rehabilitation, reconstruction and recovery programmes complementing ongoing emergency relief operations. Given the recent events, some of the newer co-ordination mechanisms are still under discussion or being formalised.

The Actors

On the government side, overall co-ordination within the humanitarian sector rests with the Eritrean Relief and Refugee Commission (ERREC). In response to the arrival of UN peacekeepers, the government established the Commission for Co-ordination with the UN Peacekeeping Mission (CCPM).¹ The CCPM is the interface between UNMEE and the Government of Eritrea (GoE) and comprises five functions each headed by an Associate Commissioner: Demining, Administrative Affairs, Humanitarian Affairs, Military and Security Affairs, and General Services.

Within the UN in terms of co-ordination, there is a UN Resident/Humanitarian Co-ordinator (RC/HC) who is also the Designated Official for security (DO) supported by the Office for Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The HC provides guidance, co-ordinates and is the spokesperson for the UN Country Team (UNCT) in terms of agencies' operations and security. This role, or parts of it, is extendable to the wider humanitarian community (most likely NGOs) where applicable and if requested. UNMEE whose operations are focused on the TSZ, is headed up by a Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) who is the most senior UN representative in Eritrea.² The SRSG is DO in the TSZ and is responsible for overall co-ordination of UN activities in the TSZ. Also within UNMEE, there is a Force Commander, a military person who is responsible for military decisions concerning deployment and management of the peacekeepers. Within the military setup there is a Civil Military Affairs branch (CMA) one of whose function is the establishment of a Civil Military Co-operation centre (CIMIC). CIMIC is responsible for providing liaison facilities and two-way information sharing between the humanitarian community and UNMEE peacekeepers. CMA and CIMIC as a component of it, report to the Force Commander.

Finally, there are all the actors who implement humanitarian programmes, specialised UN agencies, the Red Cross Movement, international and national NGOs as well as a number of donors who support them.

The Modalities

In addition to all the actors, there are a wide variety of issues requiring different co-ordination mechanisms. These include such issues as emergency humanitarian operations and complementary rehabilitation programmes, security and geographical divisions such as the TSZ. In some cases there are clear divisions of responsibility in others there are complex inter-linkages.

Humanitarian Interventions

ERREC and the line ministries are responsible for co-ordination in this context. ERREC have offices in each of the six Administrative Zones and almost all sub-zones in Eritrea and have a presence in each of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps which are run by ERREC and a Camp Administrator from the Ministry of Local Government. UN agencies and the Red Cross Movement are expected to work closely with ERREC within their humanitarian plan of action for the country. International and national NGOs are required to register with ERREC and provide regular reporting. Although ERREC has the overall responsibility for co-ordination of humanitarian operations, within the specialised sectors humanitarian actors are required to work with the relevant line ministry, i.e. Ministry of Health or Education. Co-ordination within this framework is facilitated centrally at the Asmara level through five Sectoral Working Groups (SWG). Each SWG is chaired by the relevant GoE representative and facilitated by a UN agency. There is also a mine action group and an informal group, which meets to brainstorm on issues relating to micro-finance/credit. All these groups meet every fortnight and there is a general humanitarian meeting each month. In addition to meetings in Asmara, inter-agency co-ordination meetings are being established at the zonal level. Two meetings have been held in Gash-Barka and the first meeting was held in December in the Northern Red Sea Zone.

Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Recovery (3Rs)³

Initiatives within the 3Rs context are relatively new in Eritrea, reflecting the recently stabilising situation. It is hoped that they will increase, particularly with substantial multilateral funding (almost US300 million announced in 2000 for two-year rehabilitation programmes). However, such initiatives will not be at the expense of ongoing humanitarian operations and needs, particularly those in drought-affected areas, rather they will complement them. At the time of writing a SWG is being established to co-ordinate 3R activities. In addition, ERREC, during recent restructuring, has established a Rehabilitation Department which will co-ordinate emergency rehabilitation activities and aims be a focal point for co-ordinating information relating to the wider rehabilitation, reconstruction and recovery activities (most of which will be implemented directly by government departments/ministries). In this way, ERREC will remain the co-ordinating body for the NGO community.

Security and Demining

Security in Eritrea is the responsibility of the GoE and its military components. Security along the 1,000km border between Ethiopia and Eritrea ultimately rests with their governments and their adherence to the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (18 June 2000) and Peace Agreement (12 December 2000).

The Eritrean Demining Programme (EDP) has demining and landmine awareness training facilities and operates throughout the country.⁴ Current demining has been limited due to the recent conflict. The UN Mine Action Co-ordination Centre (MACC) has established its Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA) database. IMSMA is a database used worldwide to collate landmine information. In Eritrea, it will be used to collate information concerning landmine and UXO sites, accidents and incidents⁵. In due course, it will be 'handed over' to the EDP to strengthen their demining capabilities.

CIMIC

CIMIC structures, under the auspices of the Force Commander, are currently in the process of being established. There will be a CIMIC centre in Asmara, within the central command structure. This will be complemented by field based CIMIC branches in the three UNMEE sectors (central, eastern and western). All CIMIC offices are accessible to all humanitarian actors for information relating to security, access routes, UNMEE deployment etc. To facilitate the dissemination of CIMIC information at the central level, a CIMIC Liaison Officer will be placed in the Information Co-ordination Centre (ICC).

TSZ / the rest of Eritrea

As noted above, UNMEE working in close collaboration with the CCPM are responsible for the TSZ and adjacent areas. Discussions at the end of 2000 between all actors involved led to the following decisions.

UNMEE and CCPM will remain responsible for the TSZ, first and foremost relating to security. Decisions relating access to the TSZ, including issues of population return and humanitarian actors delivering assistance, remain with the GoE. They will be made in close collaboration with CCPM and therefore UNMEE.
UNMEE/MACC are responsible for the co-ordination of all mine action related activities in the TSZ and adjacent areas. HALO Trust (a British NGO) is responsible for initial surveying of the TSZ for landmines and UXO in preparation for UNMEE deployment. This has yet to take place in the occupied territories and will be a priority after withdrawal of Ethiopian forces.
UNMEE is responsible for promoting security in the TSZ and adjacent areas through the deployment of 150 Military Observers (MILOBs) and 4,200 peacekeepers (including military support units) in the TSZ. Whilst UNMEE is responsible for access routes to the TSZ (air and land) it is not responsible for other parts of Eritrea.
In terms of UN Security, the DO for the TSZ is the SRSG while for the rest of Eritrea it rests with the RC/HC. Each area will have its own security plans and security clearance procedures. Peacekeeping forces will also provide medical and casualty evacuation (MEDEVAC/CASEVAC) facilities from the TSZ.
CCPM has delegated day-to-day responsibility for co-ordination of humanitarian activities to ERREC in the TSZ. Close collaboration will remain between the two Commissions, especially the Associate Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and the Associate Commissioner for Administrative Affairs in CCPM, UNMEE, in particular the Deputy SRSG (D/SRSG) who is responsible for Humanitarian Affairs and the RC/HC with support from OCHA. Therefore at the policy and decision-making level all five actors (CCPM, ERREC, UNMEE, UNRC/HC and OCHA) are involved, but at the operational level ERREC is responsible for ensuring a co-ordinated approach.

Information

The ICC was established in May 2000 in response to the outbreak of hostilities, the ongoing drought and the subsequent complex emergency. It aims, through the co-ordination of information pertaining to the humanitarian situation, to promote co-ordination and thus facilitate humanitarian interventions in Eritrea. The ICC is based in ERREC offices; it operates under the auspices of ERREC and the UN Humanitarian Co-ordinator, and is supported financially and in-kind by UN agencies, NGOs, donors and ERREC. In early 2001, the ICC will continue to expand to include a Geographical Information System (GIS) unit. By mid-2001 the ICC will transition to ERREC, thereby strengthening the Commission's capacity to plan, co-ordinate, monitor and evaluate humanitarian and rehabilitation activities.

Footnotes:

¹ CCPM was established, 15 August 2000 under Proclamation 110/2000

² Where there is no SRSG, the RC/HC is the most senior UN official in a country

³ More details on rehabilitation, reconstruction and recovery initiatives in Eritrea can be found in the ICC Briefing Paper No. 2, 18 December 2000.

⁴ Landmines are not only present around the border areas but almost the entire territory of Eritrea as a result of decades of fighting pre independence.

⁵ Landmine or UXO accidents relate specifically to professionals who are undertaking clearance activities. Landmine or UXO incidents relate to detonations by all others including military, civilians, animals etc.

Information Co-ordination Centre
A joint ERREC/UN Venture to facilitate the humanitarian intervention in Eritrea