Lubango - Twenty-two technicians from ministerial departments and defence and security bodies have been participating since this Tuesday, in the Province of Lubango, in a training on peace and conflict mediation promoted by the Angolan Foreign Ministry (MIREX) and the Swiss Confederation.
The training action aims to provide participants with specialized skills for intervention and peaceful resolution of differences between nations, as well as strengthening national capacity in the field of preventive diplomacy, mediation and conflict resolution, prioritizing the path of dialogue and generation of consensus.
The training topics include skills to improve negotiations, drawing of ceasefire processes, transition from the conflict phase to a peace agreement, among others.
On the sidelines of the event, the director for Africa, Middle East and Regional Organizations at MIREX, Jorge Cardoso, said that the training is the result of a partnership between the two Governments, which helps to strengthening technical, scientific skills and know-how of Angolan cadres in conflict mediation matters.
He highlighted that Angola “gained a great reputation” at a regional, continental and global level in terms of peace and reconciliation from the African Union, for facilitating dialogue between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, since May 2022.
On the sidelines of the event, the director for Africa, Middle East and Regional Organizations at MIREX, Jorge Cardoso, said that the training is the result of a partnership between the two Governments, which contributes to strengthening the technical, scientific skills and know-how of Angolan staff in matters of conflict mediation.
“Prior to this, it had already been designated as facilitator of the political agreement for peace and reconciliation that has significantly contributed to the political stability of the Central African Republic since 2021, considering the International Conference for the Great Lakes Region,” he added.
According to the MIREX official, due to a partnership between the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the African Union (AU) and the Government of Angola, the country has hosted the Luanda Biennial since 2019, which is seen as report of the Pan-Africanism for a culture of peace.
He said that with these actions and others, the idea is to achieve the objective of ending conflicts on the “Cradle of Humanity” continent by 2030.
In turn, the vice-governor of Huíla for Technical Services and Infrastructures, Hélio de Almeida, highlighted Angola's example of resilience and progress, considering that the training represents another step in the construction of an increasingly prosperous and peaceful country.
For the government officials, we are currently living in challenging times, where building peace and strengthening communities require specific knowledge, techniques and skills, so investing in staff training means investing in the country’s future.
Switzerland is known for having a “strong” culture in mediation, with at least 50 years in the process. In addition to the mentioned training, both countries have economic relations and participation in multilateral forums.
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