By Nelson Manneh
WANEP-The Gambia with funding from the European Union, the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) on Tuesday 14th September 2021 commenced a 3-day capacity building of stakeholders on mediation, preventive diplomacy, advocacy and dialogue.
The training, according to stakeholders, will enhance the capacity of stakeholders under the National Election Response Group (NERG) on mediation, dialogue and preventive diplomacy which will contribute in enhancing response mechanisms for electoral dispute management and resolution in the lead up to the 4th December 2021 presidential election.
Salama Njie, the National Coordinator of WANEP-The Gambia, said the December 2021 elections will have profound consequences on the democratic trajectory and consolidation of the gains of the 2016 regime change.
“The threats and potential for violent conflict is imminent as politicians continue to use ethnicity as a mechanism for voter mobilization,” he said.
However, Madam Njie said despite the ongoing transitional justice processes and other reform advances established with the aim of strengthening efforts to ensure a peaceful transitional process, there are still challenges in terms of peace and security which in the long run can threaten the peaceful conduct of elections.
WANEP-The Gambia is a legally registered not-for-profit peace building organization in the Gambia.
Recognizing the contagious nature of conflict in the sub-region, WANEP-The Gambia was established in August 2003 to respond primarily to national peace building needs as well as foster and promote the principles of the sub-regional organization. The Gambia, like other countries in the sub-region, has a growing need for active prevention of violence; this is one of the cardinal means of ensuring sustainable development.
WANEP-The Gambia is a legally registered not-for-profit peace building organization in the Gambia, with a membership of 20 civil society organizations and works with government and non-government stakeholders and partners to actively promote a culture of peace for conflict prevention.
