ddis Ababa, 3 June 2014: A two-day meeting of the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) of the African Peace Facility (APF) started today at the African Union (AU) Headquarters in Addis Ababa. The meeting brings together representatives of the AU Commission, the European Union (EU) and the following Regional Economic Communities/Regional Mechanisms for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution (RECs/RMs): the Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA), the Community of Sahelo-Saharan States (CEN-SAD), the East African Community (EAC), the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the North Africa Regional Capability (NARC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The JCC meeting was opened by the AU Commissioner for Peace and Security, Ambassador Smail Chergui, and the European External Action Service Managing Director for Africa, Nick Westcott. In his statement, Commissioner Chergui expressed AU’s appreciation to the EU for its unwavering support to peace and security efforts in Africa. “We acknowledge the EU’s continued support through the APF to our mission in Somalia (AMISOM), the African-led International Support Mission to the Central Africa Republic (MISCA), as well as support to our efforts against the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA),” he said. On his part, Director Westcott said this meeting gives the opportunity to design programmes and plan their implementation. He noted that the EU had committed 750 million Euros for the APF under the new Three-Year Action Programme (2014 – 2016) to contribute towards the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts in Africa. We do so, he said, because “the APF had proved its relevance, efficiency and impact to tackle peace and security issues around the continent.”
– See more at: http://www.peaceau.org/en/article/the-african-union-commission-and-the-european-union-hold-the-9th-meeting-of-the-africa-peace-facility-apf-joint-coordination-committee#sthash.kDYPBfM2.R0qbNSnu.dpuf