This archive report was first published on 14 November 2019.
On November 14, 2019, the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohamed visited Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Djibouti, assessing the region's progress towards peace and gender equality.
Ms. Mohamed told the Security Council that the chance for peace in the region is real, with each country heading in the right direction, albeit at different speeds.
However, she cautioned that for this progress to continue, countries in northeastern Africa must enhance their unity and cooperation, pointing to signs of the revitalization of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (Igad).
Igad, an eight-nation grouping including Kenya, Uganda, and South Sudan, must focus on addressing the hundreds of thousands of refugees and internally displaced persons in the region, many of whom are vulnerable to sexual exploitation, Ms. Mohamed said.
She also highlighted the region's advancements in gender equity, citing Ethiopia's female president, Sahle-Work Zewde, and women's leadership in Eritrea, where women fought in significant numbers on the frontlines of the independence movement.
Ms. Mohamed also noted the challenges faced by female UN peacekeepers in the region, including inadequate deployment kits and harassment.
Kenya's representative to the Security Council echoed Ms. Mohamed's sentiments, stating that her country's mantra is 'Kuhusisha Wanawake ni Kudumisha Amani' (To involve women is to sustain peace).
