The Nigerian Federal Government through the National Counter Terrorism Centre , Office of the National Security Adviser, in collaboration with the European Union and a consortium of United Nations agencies, has launched a fresh initiative titled “EU Support for Disengagement, Review, Reintegration and Reconciliation of Persons Formerly Associated With Non State Armed Groups” in the North East zone of Nigeria.
The joint initiative is to foster social cohesion, reduce stigmatisation, promote tolerance, and create space for acceptance as well as belonging within targeted communities in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe States.
While launching the Initiative, the National Security Adviser NSA, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, noted that the SD3R Project was conceived to promote peace and stability in the North-East Nigeria through community-driven reintegration and reconciliation process for persons formally associated with Non-State Armed Groups (NSAGs).
He says, “The project also strives to support authorities in effectively investigating and prosecuting individuals accused of terrorism offences in the north east, ensuring meaningful accountability and redress for serious crimes.”
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Ribadu added that the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) through the National Counter Terrorism Centre would continue to coordinate the project in line with the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2022 Policy Framework and National Action Plan for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism 2017, as well as other relevant policy documents.
The EU Head of Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ambassador Samuela Isopi, said, healing and reconciliation can be achieved in the sub-region if all work together, leveraging on collective expertise.
According to her, the Project was part of the broader EU support to the Lake Chad region which amounts to 2.5 Billion Euros (€2.5 Billion) since 2014, stressing that its implementation would leverage on the expertise and experience of the four UN agencies involved: International Organisation for Migration (IOM) which is the lead agency, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) which have been working in the Northeast of Nigeria for several years.
(Editor: Ken Eseni)
