Support for the strengthening of regional conflict prevention, peacekeeping and peacebuilding capacities is a key element of Germany's Africa policy. One element of this support is ZIF’s close cooperation with the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) in Ghana and the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Abuja. With its partners ZIF has conducted the following activities:

Training

• Eight joint KAIPTC/ZIF training courses on “Election Observation and Basic Peacekeeping Skills” were held in Accra, four  of these in English, two in French and two bilingual. Overall, over 170 participants from West Africa have been trained since 2004.
• More than 20 West Africans were invited to participate in ZIF’s “Basic Peacekeeping Course” and various Specialization Courses in Germany.

Lessons Learned and Expert Seminars

• “Elections in Post-Conflict Countries – Lessons Learned from Liberia, Sierra Leone, DR Congo and Kosovo” (12 – 14 June 2008); the report can be found here.
• “Post-Conflict Peacebuilding in Liberia - Much Remains to be done” (1 – 3 November 2007); the report can be found here.
• “Post-Conflict Peacebuilding and National Ownership: Meeting the Challenges of Sierra Leone” (1-3 December 2005); the report can be found here.
• “Lessons of Peace Implementation in Côte d’Ivoire” (May 31 – June 2 2004); the report can be found here.
• Workshop with the ECOWAS Council of Elders on the “Role of ECOWAS in Election Observation” (in co-operation with FES-Ghana) (June 14 – 16, 2004); the report can be found here.

Others

• “Monitoring Alumni: Post-Training Activities of ZIF-KAIPTC Election Observation Trainees” (2006 and 2009); both pproject reports are available upon request.
• Research executed on behalf of the European Group on Training for Civilian Aspects of Crisis Management (EGT): “Inventory on Mission-Oriented Civilian Training Institutions in Africa”, 2008.

The ZIF West Africa project is funded by the German Government and executed by ZIF in cooperation with the Gesellschaft fuer technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ).

March 2010