Norsk Folkehjelp NPA 349d ago

For the last few years the Cabo Delgado province in northern Mozambique have been terrorized by militants. About 700,000 people have been displaced, 3000 people have been killed. The conflict risks turning into a prolonged humanitarian crisis. In Cabo Delgado the conflict is often talked about as the “Guerra sem cara” – the faceless war. The global terrorist organisation ISIS claim ties to the violent extremism. But any solution needs to acknowledge the local complexities, and take into consideration the decades of marginalization and underdevelopment of the area. The current national and international response has so far been dominated by a militarised response, without recognition of underlying development challenges and humanitarian needs. Lessons learned from the Sahel, North East Nigeria and Somalia show how a “security-first” approach to similar contexts has led to important protection concerns, human rights violations and humanitarian access constraints. To avoid that the same mistakes are made in northern Mozambique the response must have clear objectives of responding to humanitarian needs and addressing the underlying causes of conflict. The conflict is being referred to as one of the least understood conflicts on the continent, in this webinar we invite you to join our discussion with researchers, humanitarians and civil society; Panel discussion: · Aslak Orre, senior researcher Christian Michelsen's Institute. · Claudio Feo, Regional Director South Africa, Norwegian People's Aid · Abeer Mezher, Country Director Norwegian Refugee Council, Mozambique · Quiteria Guirengane, Mozambican female activist and the President of the Mozambican Young Women Leaders’ Network Comments from Cathrine Andersen, Special representative Protection, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The event is moderated by: Magnus Flacké, advisor Mozambique, Norwegian People’s Aid.