PRESS RELEASE
United Religions Initiative-Africa & Eastern Africa Standby Force Conclude Agreement to Advance Peace and Security
Motivated by a shared commitment to promote and advance peace and security in the eastern Africa region, United Religions Initiative (URI) - Africa and Eastern African Standby Force (EASF) concluded an agreement to work in partnership based on their respective organization mandates, objectives, programs, vision, mission and purpose.
The objectives of the signed partnership agreement include:
- To prevent violent /armed conflicts, extremism and radicalization in the Eastern Africa region;
- To popularize and promote the aim of Agenda 2063 in silencing the guns in the region;
- To work in partnership in humanitarian assistance to alleviate the suffering of the civilian population in conflict areas and support efforts to address major natural disasters;
- To jointly organize workshops, meetings, seminars, and develop and implement projects in the region to advance peace and security.
The agreement was signed on January 24, 2020, at the office of EASF in Nairobi, Kenya by Dr. Abdillahi Omar Bouh, Director of EASF Secretariat, and by Ambassador Mussie Hailu, Director of Global Partnerships & Regional Director of URI-Africa & Representative of URI to the African Union and United Nations Office in Africa Geneva.
The Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) is a regional organization whose mandate is to enhance peace and security in the Eastern Africa region. It is one of the five regional multidimensional Forces of the African Standby Force (ASF) consisting of Military, Police and Civilian components. EASF was established as a regional mechanism to provide the capability for rapid deployment of forces to carry out preventive deployment, rapid intervention, peace support/stability operations and peace enforcement.
The vision of EASF is to contribute to regional and continental peace, security, stability and enhance regional integration.
Currently, the EASF draws its membership from 10 active Member States including Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, and Uganda.
United Religions Initiative (URI) is an interfaith organization with Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. It is working to promote enduring daily interfaith cooperation, to end religiously motivated violence, and to create cultures of peace, healing and justice for the Earth and all living beings.
URI is cultivating peaceful coexistence among different religions and cultures by engaging people to bridge religious and cultural differences and work together for the good of their communities. In Africa, URI has 232 member organizations in 32 African countries.
URI-Africa is working closely with the African Union (AU) in moving forward the aim of the AU Interfaith Dialogue Forum to harness the power of religious communities for the integration and development and to counter violent extremism and promote peace in Africa.
URI-Africa is promoting peace and security, inter-religious harmony, constructive dialogue and addressing the issue of hate speech and countering violent extremism in Africa. URI-Africa is also advancing human dignity and mutual respect based on the teaching of the Golden Rule which says, “Treat others the way you want to be treated.”
To enhance its peace work in Africa with relevant regional and international organizations, URI-Africa has already signed Memoranda of Understanding with the African Union, Regional Centre on Small Arms (RECSA) , Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), UNFPA regional office for Africa, UNEP Africa office, Africa Media Initiative (AMI) and many other regional and international organizations.
The URI Africa office is located in Nairobi, Kenya with sub-regional offices based in Uganda for the Great Lakes Region and East Africa, Djibouti for the Horn of Africa, Nigeria for the West Africa Region, and South Africa for the Southern Africa region.
May Peace Prevail on Earth.
Amb. Mussie Hailu
Director of Global Partnership & Representative at the UN and
Africa Union and Regional Director for Africa
United Religions Initiative
