The European Union on Thursday (15 December) adopted new programs worth €170 million to tackle the root causes of instability, irregular migration and forced displacement in the Horn of Africa. The package of 11 measures was decided by the third Operational Committee meeting of the Horn of Africa region of the EU Trust Fund for Africa. It complements 24 previously adopted actions amounting to €436.5 million for the region, which were approved in three packages between December 2015 and October 2016.
Yesterday, three projects were announced, namely “Collaboration in Cross-Border Areas” (€63.5 million), targeting three remote cross-border areas that are vulnerable to instability and forced displacement across Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Sudan; a “Regional Operational Centre in support of the Khartoum Process and AU-Horn of Africa Initiative” (€5 million), aiming to enhance the capacity of regional authorities to understand irregular migration flows better and develop common strategies as well as the cross-regional “Facility on Sustainable and Dignified Return and Reintegration in support of the Khartoum Process” (€25 million), contributing to the return and reintegration of migrants in targeted partner countries of origin, transit and destination.
On top of these three projects, there will also be numerous activities in individual countries, such as in South Sudan, which is designed to help tackle the recent influx of forced migration due to instability or in Djibouti, and in Eritrea meant to support vocational training and employment opportunities. Of the previously adopted actions for the Horn of Africa, €204 million have already been contracted including projects in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda, and four regional projects.
