EU approves 59 million euros to support peace, stability and job creation

The European Union (EU) announced today four new actions worth 59 million euros to improve stability and address the root causes of irregular migration and forced displacement in the Horn of Africa region.

EU Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development, Neven Mimica, said, "This new package illustrates how the EU Trust Fund provides sustainable solutions to address instability and lack of economic opportunities, as they are two main root causes of forced displacement in the Horn of Africa. By promoting peace, stability and job creation, these new actions will help create alternatives for people to improve their lives to ensure that migration can become a choice for people, and not a necessity."

The package of actions announced today consist of the regional project "Promoting Peace and Stability in the Horn of Africa Region" (40 million euros) that covers all countries in the Horn of Africa and aims to contribute to achieving sustainable peace, security and stability to improve economic integration and development.

Then there is the new "Kenya-EU Partnership for the implementation of the Kenya CVE strategy" (5 million euros) that will support Kenya in improving the implementation of its recently adopted National Strategy to Counter Violent Extremism. The aim is to prevent and counter violent extremism in an efficient and inclusive way, and in full respect of human rights.

Two other projects build upon the ongoing support of the people of Sudan. A project in North Darfur, "Wadi El Ku Integrated Catchment Management Project (Phase 2)" (10 million euros), will directly target 80,000 smallholder producers and indirectly benefit the 700,000 people dependent on the Wadi El Ku catchment, by strengthening rural livelihoods through the inclusive and sustainable management of water resources.

A second project is a "Technical Cooperation Facility for Sudan 2018 – 2020" (4 million euros) to provide monitoring, assessments, specific studies and other technical assistance to support the sound implementation of the 100 million euros Special Measure for Sudan channelled through the EU Trust Fund.

These actions build on previous packages of actions worth ?606 million (approved in packages of 253 million, 117 million, 66.5 million and 170 million) committed under the EU Trust Fund since December 2015 aimed at providing regional sustainable solutions to irregular migration and forced displacement. They were approved by the operational committee of the EU Trust Fund for Africa.