“The course confirms its topicality but also the need to support, through targeted training courses, the African personnel in professionally managing the crisis and the post-war reconstruction efforts,” said Andrea de Guttry, full professor of international law, the Rector’s delegate for high-level training activities and Director of the Istituto Dirpolis (Diritto, Politica, Sviluppo) of the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna of Pisa. These were the words used to describe the third edition of the training course for peace-keeping operations organised by the Scuola in Somalia with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. The course is scheduled to start on Feb. 28 at the University of Hargeisa (Somaliland). “The Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna of Pisa is at the forefront, alongside its African counterpart, the University of Hargeisa, in an effort to make a tangible contribution towards improving the living conditions of millions of Somalis whose country has been devastated by years of internal warfare,” Mr de Guttry said.
Committed to fostering the reconciliation process in Somalia
Through these new training initiatives, the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna of Pisa confirms its commitment in fostering the reconciliation process in Somalia and in optimising the efficiency of the Blue Helmets of the United Nations and of the African Union operating in Somalia. The course opening ceremony will be attended by three ministers from Somaliland, representatives of the Italian Embassy and of the different peace missions in Somalia, and by the Rector of the University of Hargeisa. The cycle of lessons coordinated by Prof de Guttry will be attended by 35 students from Somalia, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, Djibouti, Saudi Arabia, United States and Italy. The course will provide the necessary skills and knowledge to enable the peace-keeping missions of the United Nations and of the African Union to tackle the Somalian reconciliation efforts in a more professional, thorough and effective way. The peace-keeping missions that have been engaged in Somalia for several years now are the African Union Mission (AMISOM), a mission of the United Nations (UNSOM) and two from the European Union (EUTM and EUCAP NESTOR). Their aim is to consolidate the ongoing peace process. Course teachers will deal with themes related to state-of-the-art conflict resolution techniques, the role of the United Nations and of the regional players in the pacification of Somalia, human rights (especially of women) and the new methods of administering a territory that appears to be very complex and differentiated.
