The European Parliament adopted a resolution based on the own-initiative report drafted by Filip KACZMAREK (EPP-ED, PL) in response to the Commission communication entitled "Strategy for Africa: an EU regional political partnership for peace, security and development in the Horn of Africa". It deplored the fact that neither the European Parliament nor the parliaments of the African countries, nor the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, nor civil society representatives, were duly consulted at any stage in the formulation of the EU-Africa Strategy, which called into question the democratic legitimacy of the common commitment.

Security dimension: the conflicts in the Horn of Africa must be addressed through a comprehensive, conflict-sensitive, regional approach that will enable the formulation of a comprehensive response to the regional dynamics and conflict systems. The EU's action with regard to the Horn of Africa must address not only security concerns but also the structural causes of conflicts connected to social, political and economic exclusion, as well as strengthening security and justice. While addressing security concerns and pursuing counter-terrorism policies, the EU must not neglect human rights and humanitarian law, and Member States must bring to light and denounce any 'international renditions' of persons arrested in the region on suspicion of terrorism. The Council and the Commission must take resolute steps to counter impunity in the region, arms trafficking, human rights abuses, violations of ceasefires and attacks on civilians, peace-keepers and humanitarian workers, and to support the involvement of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Parliament called on the EU publicly to condemn the repressive regimes in that region, and expressed its deep concern about the repressive backlash in Ethiopia - the seat of the AU - against opposition leaders, journalists, human rights activists and ordinary people that has taken place since the rigged elections in 2005.

Peace-building regional approach : Parliament called for consolidation of the EU presence in the region through the appointment of an EU representative for the Horn of Africa, a person to be entrusted with the coordination of EU initiatives for the region to serve as the main EU interlocutor for all Horn of Africa States and submit regular reports to Parliament. It asked the Commission and the Council to start a consultation process with the other stakeholders involved in the region, namely the UN, AU, IGAD, the League of Arab States, USA and China, on the initiative of convening a Comprehensive Security, Peace and Development Conference to deal with these security concerns of all Horn of Africa States simultaneously. It strongly believed that the EU should first and foremost seek African solutions, that is, solutions to be achieved with the involvement of the regional organisations in place, AU and IGAD. However, these organisations must be strengthened through capacity and institution building, and particularly through the African Peace Facility, in terms of conflict prevention and conflict resolution. Parliament stressed the need to foster the role of national and international NGOs, Community Based Organisations, grassroots movements and other non-State actors.

Development dimension : the objective of reducing poverty by achieving the MDGs and putting the Millennium Declaration into effect must be prioritised in all relevant EU policies for the region. However, the MDGs should not be seen as a technical issue which would be resolved simply by providing more money without identifying and tackling the underlying causes of poverty. In addition to shared security problems, the States of the Horn of Africa have a common development agenda which required common efforts and the mobilisation of the political leadership and societies in these countries. Organising initiatives and regional cooperation around clearly identified issues of common concern such as refugee flows, border control, food security, natural resources, energy, the environment, education, infrastructure, arms control and gender equality would serve as a solid basis for positive political dialogue among Horn of Africa States. Parliament called on the Commission to promote better coordination among its departments and the Member States and to ensure coordination with the UN, USA, China and other international actors. Dialogue with China was emphasised, taking into consideration the fact that China had intensified its political and economic involvement in Africa, investing heavily in infrastructure and development projects in countries such as Sudan. Parliament stressed that the fight against HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria, as well as neglected diseases and female genital mutilation, must be one of the key strategies for eradicating poverty and promoting economic growth in the Horn of Africa States.

Country level : with regard to Sudan , Parliament called on the Council, the Commission and the Member States to make every possible effort to protect the people in Darfur from the humanitarian disaster resulting from the continuing violation of the ceasefire by all parties. It called on the Sudanese Government to prevent exactions by the Janjaweed militia, and urged the Sudanese authorities to facilitate the deployment of a joint international AU and UN force in the region. Parliament called for the implementation of the UN Security Council sanction regime by means of targeted economic sanctions, and for equipment to be made available for the enforcement of the no-fly zone over Darfur established by UN Security Council Resolution 1591. The international community must launch peace talks to improve the content of the Darfur Peace Agreement. Failure to resolve the conflict in Darfur would have serious consequences not only for the East Africa region but also for other relatively stable parts of Africa, namely Central Africa and the region of the Great Lakes.

With regard to Somalia , Parliament condemned foreign intervention and called on the Ethiopian Government to withdraw its army from the country. The AU peace-keeping operation in Somalia, AMISOM, should be framed within a broader political process that has a clear mandate, good capacity, clear objectives and an exit strategy. EU support for AMISOM must be conditional on the launch of an inclusive political dialogue and reconciliation by the Somali authorities, addressing the challenges of reconciliation, institution building and providing peace for the Somali people. Parliament called on the Somali TFG to rescind the state of emergency and reinstate the speaker of parliament and it considered that the Somaliland request for independence should be examined as part of the over-arching security agenda for Somalia.

On Ethiopia , Parliament called for pressure to be put on the Ethiopian Government to disclose the total number detained throughout the country, to allow visits by the International Committee of the Red Cross and to allow all detainees access to their families. Ethiopia must accept the demarcation and delimitation of its border as set out by the UN Boundary Commission. With regard to Eritrea , Parliament wanted the Eritrean Government to release all political prisoners, bring prisoners with specific charges against them to a speedy and fair trial and disclose the place of detention of all who are detained in secret prisons.

Lastly, with regard to Uganda , Parliament called on the Council and the Commission to facilitate the peace process in Northern Uganda, which requires all parties to the conflict to demonstrate a genuine commitment to the peace process, to respect the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement and to put an end to hostile and inflammatory propaganda.

The committee adopted the own-initiative report drawn up by Filip KACZMAREK (EPP-ED, PL) in response to the Commission communication entitled "Strategy for Africa: an EU regional political partnership for peace, security and development in the Horn of Africa".

The report began by deploring the fact that neither the European Parliament nor the Parliaments of the African countries, nor the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, nor civil society representatives were duly consulted at any stage of the formulation of the EU-Africa Strategy, "which calls into question the democratic legitimacy of the common commitment".

The committee stressed that the conflicts in the Horn of Africa must be addressed through a comprehensive, conflict-sensitive, regional approach that will make it possible to formulate a comprehensive response to the regional dynamics and conflict systems. The EU’s action must address not only security concerns but also the structural causes of conflicts connected to social, political and economic exclusion, as well as strengthening security and justice. The report stressed that, while addressing security concerns and pursuing counter-terrorism policies, the EU must not neglect human rights and humanitarian law.

MEPs in the committee insisted that, in its efforts to address the crisis in the Horn of Africa region, the EU should "first and foremost seek African solutions", i.e. by involving the regional organisations in place (the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development). They accordingly called for the EU to provide technical support, expertise and institution building assistance to the African Standby Force and the AU Commission's Peace and Security Department. The report also stressed the need to foster the role of national and international NGOs, Community-Based Organisations (CBOs), grassroots movements and other non-state actors in peace-building and conflict prevention.

The committee called also for consolidation of the EU presence in the region through the appointment of an EU representative for the Horn of Africa, who would coordinate EU initiatives in the region, serve as the main EU interlocutor and submit regular reports to Parliament. On the development aspect of the regional partnership, the report stressed that priority must be given to the objective of reducing poverty by achieving the MDGs. However, these should not be seen as "a technical issue which will be resolved simply by providing more money without identifying and tackling the causes of poverty".

At country level, the committee called on the Commission, the Council and Member States "to fully assume their responsibilities" and make every possible effort to protect people in Darfur from the humanitarian disaster resulting from the continuing violation of the ceasefire by all parties and involving civilians in particular. As for Somalia, the committee condemned foreign intervention in the country and called on the Ethiopian government to withdraw its army. It endorsed the deployment of an AU peace-keeping force "under an inclusive political agreement between the warring parties". As for Ethiopia, the report called on the Council and the Commission to put pressure on the Ethiopian government to disclose the total number of people detained throughout the country, to allow visits by the Red Cross, to allow detainees access to their families, legal counsel and any medical care needed and to release immediately and unconditionally all political prisoners. It also urged Ethiopia to accept the demarcation and delimitation of its border as set out by the UN Boundary Commission. On Eritrea, the report urged the Commission and the Council to take action with regard to the Eritrean Government to release all political prisoners. Lastly, the Council and the Commission were urged to facilitate the peace process in Northern Uganda and to support local processes for alternative justice and reconciliation to take place.

PURPOSE: to propose a strategy for regional political partnership for peace, security and development in the Horn of Africa.

BACKGROUND: on 20 March 2006, the European Commission outlined at the 11th Summit of Heads of State and Government of IGAD (Intergovernmental Authority on Development) an initial blue print of a strategy for peace, security and development for the Horn of Africa region (Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan , Uganda). This communication translates the mutual interest and political will to generate regional stability and solidarity and is the product of high-level consultations that have taken place since then, involving all the IGAD countries and other interested regional players such as the League of Arab States and Egypt.

CONTENT: the Horn of Africa is one of the most conflict-prone regions in the world as well as one of the poorest. The protracted border dispute between Eritrea and Ethiopia, the Somalia crisis and the Sudanese and Northern Uganda conflicts all have an impact on the livelihoods of millions of people moving the region away from the Millennium Development Goals' (MDGs).

This communication builds on two important Strategies already being implemented by the EU: the ‘European Consensus for Development’ and the ‘EU-Africa Strategy’ approved by the European Council in December 2005.

On the basis of this policy framework, the European Commission is now proposing to set up a ‘Regional Political Partnership’ with the Horn of Africa, as a test case for applying the EU Africa Strategy. The main objective of the Communication is to contribute to reducing the region’s instability, which is a prerequisite for reaching the MDGs. It sets out a comprehensive approach to conflict prevention in the Horn of Africa, tackling in the short to medium term the root causes of instability at both country and regional level and strengthening regional cooperation. It should guide EU external action in the region and the formulation of Country and Regional Strategy Papers.

The main objective of the communication is to address and reduce the region’s acute instability by developing a comprehensive approach to conflict prevention in the Horn of Africa. It provides a political framework for concrete regional initiatives and programmes. It proposes a three-pronged Strategy revolving around:

Key country-level strategic political issues which have regional ramifications; Regional cross-cutting and cross-border challenges in the Horn of Africa; Effective regional political and economic cooperation and integration.

In addition, the Commission proposes EU accompanying measures :

Promote information-sharing and consultation between EU Member States and EU institutions with a view to developing a shared understanding and common approaches as regards the Horn of Africa; maintain and develop effective use of existing EU instruments to support improved coordination and dialogue, including Troika missions, joint EU Council/Commission missions and EU Special Representatives. In particular, the EU could promote the International Partners Forum (IPF) as a forum for dialogue with IGAD; make full use of Article 8 of the Cotonou Partnership Agreement to facilitate and advance dialogue with key actors (national governments, regional organisations). The EU should ensure that Article 8 political dialogue will include a strong focus on regional issues, in particular the regional implications of actions by individual states; promote the micro and meso level of conflict prevention, management and resolution, including non-state actor structures; include discussion of relevant Horn of Africa issues in talks and contacts with key stakeholders in the wider African and Arab region, particularly Egypt, the Arab Gulf States, the League of Arab States and Central and East Africa; enhance dialogue and coordination on the Horn of Africa with the USA, Norway, Japan, Canada, Russia and China. In addition, there should be structured dialogue with the UN and relevant agencies; strengthen the mainstreaming of 'human security' approach including human and social rights and gender, demographic issues and the environment (water, coastal zones and forest sustainable management, desertification and adaptation to climate change) into development programmes and promote integration by the partner strategies in the Horn region; dovetail all EU strategies, policies and programmes geared towards countries of the Horn of Africa, to ensure that they take appropriate account of key regional and cross-cutting issues, and contribute effectively to the EU’s regional political partnership for the region. In its Country Strategy Papers for the countries of the Horn of Africa, the EU should place particular emphasis on the regional context and analysis as well as an assessment of the root causes of violent conflict; when preparing new cooperation strategies with the Horn of Africa and IGAD, the Commission will dovetail EDF 10 country and regional strategies (2008-2013) in support of the Regional Political partnership for the Horn of Africa. Wherever feasible, this will be complemented by support from EU Member States. Governance, natural resources and food security, education and regional integration focusing on infrastructure should be the main areas of cooperation underpinning country and regional strategies.

Other measures are proposed by the Horn of Africa partners such as : (i) debate and promote the regional strategy among Member States, IGAD Secretariat and other policy organs and relevant regional players and civil society organisations in order to obtain a coordinated position and adherence on the part of all stakeholders; (ii) regional partners and organisations would have to be open to systematic dialogue at all levels on key regional challenges, e.g. governance, conflict, food security, trafficking and resource sharing, security and religious fundamentalism, and be engaged in identifying drivers of change; (iii) promote information-sharing and clarity of the respective roles of regional organisations, Horn of Africa partners, neighbouring countries and key regional stakeholders with a view to developing a shared vision; (iv) Horn of Africa countries and regional organisations would have to allocate adequate resources for the dialogue and the work programme, and operationalise the format for enhanced dialogue with the European Union; (v) Horn of Africa partners would have to address sources of conflict and promote crosssectoral cooperation such as, for example, the link between conflicts, share of natural resources, pastoralists and food security; (vi)implement relevant institutional reforms and Member States’ commitments to enable the IGAD Secretariat to function adequately; (vii) review and update the IGAD strategy and complete the IGAD sectoral strategy on peace and security.

To conclude , this communication implements the Africa Strategy by introducing an EU regional political partnership for the Horn of Africa based on an analysis of the key regional dynamics and problems in the Horn region. The aim of the partnership is to promote peace, stability and development in the region. It provides a political framework for concrete regional initiatives and programmes and for structured and open dialogue between partners at all levels. Implementation of the partnership will commence in 2007 and it will be jointly reviewed after 2 years to take stock of progress in delivery of the work programme and ensure it is updated and dovetailed to the conditions prevailing in the region.

PURPOSE: to propose a strategy for regional political partnership for peace, security and development in the Horn of Africa.

BACKGROUND: on 20 March 2006, the European Commission outlined at the 11th Summit of Heads of State and Government of IGAD (Intergovernmental Authority on Development) an initial blue print of a strategy for peace, security and development for the Horn of Africa region (Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan , Uganda). This communication translates the mutual interest and political will to generate regional stability and solidarity and is the product of high-level consultations that have taken place since then, involving all the IGAD countries and other interested regional players such as the League of Arab States and Egypt.

CONTENT: the Horn of Africa is one of the most conflict-prone regions in the world as well as one of the poorest. The protracted border dispute between Eritrea and Ethiopia, the Somalia crisis and the Sudanese and Northern Uganda conflicts all have an impact on the livelihoods of millions of people moving the region away from the Millennium Development Goals' (MDGs).

This communication builds on two important Strategies already being implemented by the EU: the ‘European Consensus for Development’ and the ‘EU-Africa Strategy’ approved by the European Council in December 2005.

On the basis of this policy framework, the European Commission is now proposing to set up a ‘Regional Political Partnership’ with the Horn of Africa, as a test case for applying the EU Africa Strategy. The main objective of the Communication is to contribute to reducing the region’s instability, which is a prerequisite for reaching the MDGs. It sets out a comprehensive approach to conflict prevention in the Horn of Africa, tackling in the short to medium term the root causes of instability at both country and regional level and strengthening regional cooperation. It should guide EU external action in the region and the formulation of Country and Regional Strategy Papers.

The main objective of the communication is to address and reduce the region’s acute instability by developing a comprehensive approach to conflict prevention in the Horn of Africa. It provides a political framework for concrete regional initiatives and programmes. It proposes a three-pronged Strategy revolving around:

Key country-level strategic political issues which have regional ramifications; Regional cross-cutting and cross-border challenges in the Horn of Africa; Effective regional political and economic cooperation and integration.

In addition, the Commission proposes EU accompanying measures :

Promote information-sharing and consultation between EU Member States and EU institutions with a view to developing a shared understanding and common approaches as regards the Horn of Africa; maintain and develop effective use of existing EU instruments to support improved coordination and dialogue, including Troika missions, joint EU Council/Commission missions and EU Special Representatives. In particular, the EU could promote the International Partners Forum (IPF) as a forum for dialogue with IGAD; make full use of Article 8 of the Cotonou Partnership Agreement to facilitate and advance dialogue with key actors (national governments, regional organisations). The EU should ensure that Article 8 political dialogue will include a strong focus on regional issues, in particular the regional implications of actions by individual states; promote the micro and meso level of conflict prevention, management and resolution, including non-state actor structures; include discussion of relevant Horn of Africa issues in talks and contacts with key stakeholders in the wider African and Arab region, particularly Egypt, the Arab Gulf States, the League of Arab States and Central and East Africa; enhance dialogue and coordination on the Horn of Africa with the USA, Norway, Japan, Canada, Russia and China. In addition, there should be structured dialogue with the UN and relevant agencies; strengthen the mainstreaming of 'human security' approach including human and social rights and gender, demographic issues and the environment (water, coastal zones and forest sustainable management, desertification and adaptation to climate change) into development programmes and promote integration by the partner strategies in the Horn region; dovetail all EU strategies, policies and programmes geared towards countries of the Horn of Africa, to ensure that they take appropriate account of key regional and cross-cutting issues, and contribute effectively to the EU’s regional political partnership for the region. In its Country Strategy Papers for the countries of the Horn of Africa, the EU should place particular emphasis on the regional context and analysis as well as an assessment of the root causes of violent conflict; when preparing new cooperation strategies with the Horn of Africa and IGAD, the Commission will dovetail EDF 10 country and regional strategies (2008-2013) in support of the Regional Political partnership for the Horn of Africa. Wherever feasible, this will be complemented by support from EU Member States. Governance, natural resources and food security, education and regional integration focusing on infrastructure should be the main areas of cooperation underpinning country and regional strategies.

Other measures are proposed by the Horn of Africa partners such as : (i) debate and promote the regional strategy among Member States, IGAD Secretariat and other policy organs and relevant regional players and civil society organisations in order to obtain a coordinated position and adherence on the part of all stakeholders; (ii) regional partners and organisations would have to be open to systematic dialogue at all levels on key regional challenges, e.g. governance, conflict, food security, trafficking and resource sharing, security and religious fundamentalism, and be engaged in identifying drivers of change; (iii) promote information-sharing and clarity of the respective roles of regional organisations, Horn of Africa partners, neighbouring countries and key regional stakeholders with a view to developing a shared vision; (iv) Horn of Africa countries and regional organisations would have to allocate adequate resources for the dialogue and the work programme, and operationalise the format for enhanced dialogue with the European Union; (v) Horn of Africa partners would have to address sources of conflict and promote crosssectoral cooperation such as, for example, the link between conflicts, share of natural resources, pastoralists and food security; (vi)implement relevant institutional reforms and Member States’ commitments to enable the IGAD Secretariat to function adequately; (vii) review and update the IGAD strategy and complete the IGAD sectoral strategy on peace and security.

To conclude , this communication implements the Africa Strategy by introducing an EU regional political partnership for the Horn of Africa based on an analysis of the key regional dynamics and problems in the Horn region. The aim of the partnership is to promote peace, stability and development in the region. It provides a political framework for concrete regional initiatives and programmes and for structured and open dialogue between partners at all levels. Implementation of the partnership will commence in 2007 and it will be jointly reviewed after 2 years to take stock of progress in delivery of the work programme and ensure it is updated and dovetailed to the conditions prevailing in the region.