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By Ibrahim Joenal Sesay
The National Network Coordinator of West Africa Network for Peace (WANEP)Dr. Isata Mahoi has said that the West Africa Network For Peace building Sierra Leone will be setting up an election Situation room from June 23rd to June 26
She explained that the room is designed specifically to monitor, report, analyze and facilitate response to violent threats to be identified.
She went on to say that WANEP strategic Plan for 2021 and 2025 has it overall goal to build the capacity of Citizens, Civil Society, Citizen groups, research institutions, ECOWAS, AU and all relevant stakeholders towards ensuring peaceful election.
According to her, WANEP Sierra Leone is proud to be part of the process that has resulted in the ongoing relative peace prevailing in the country as they have been actively instrumental in working with other partners to manage pre-election conflicts to maintain and build the peace.
He stated that the Network has made significant contributions to building peace in the country through capacity enhancement of its member organizations and that their primary strategy is advocacy to push initiatives or influence policies that will consolidate the peace attained in the country and that since the war was officially declared ended on January 18th 2002, prominent initiatives have been made.
She informed journalists that they have developed an effective National Early Warning System (NEWS) including training peace monitors in early warning, early response and early action as part of its preventive peace building approach, noting that, the network has been working with government line ministries and other women’s groups towards the development of a National Action Plan on 1325 in partnership with Mano River Women ‘s Peace Network and Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs, Children’s Affairs, promoting women’s empowerment for protection, prevention of abuses and violations and promoting human rights, promoting peace education programs in schools and colleges, the peace and development forum which brings together peace building organization to provide update on activities, share experience and exchange knowledge as a learning platform and agree on common peace building actions.
Dr. Mahoi explained that WANEP started operation as a Coalition of Collaborative peace building Programme (CCP) in 1998 when the country was in the process of resolving its own civil conflict that started in 1991 and that WANEP-SL was established to add citizen’s voice through civil society to peace process, pointing out that the project is funded by UN Peace Building Fund with support from Irish Aid and others.
Per Rajalkander from Fouke Bernadette Academy Peace Mediator Specialist said that they have held training for women group at Radisson Blu Hotel on election since March 6th to March 10th 2023 and that they looked at issues and developed action plans.
UNDP Resident Representative Pa Lamin Beyai said they have held training for people from various institutions and women groups on the June 24th elections, how they can settle dispute, conflict resolution and how they would make sure that Sierra Leone has peaceful environment during and after the election.
