Starting Wednesday, February 7, 2024, Uganda is hosting Members of Parliament (MPs) from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) member states. The meeting, organized by the IGAD Centre of Excellence for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (ICEPCVE), is held in Entebbe municipality and will continue until February 9, 2024.
Twenty-seven MPs from East and Horn of Africa countries, including Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda, are participating. They will discuss legislative measures to counter violent extremism and terrorism in their respective parliaments.
This meeting follows up on a previous gathering held on December 6-8, 2023, in Mombasa, Kenya, where select legislators from peace and security committees shared research findings on current legislation regarding preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE). They were also introduced to tools for conducting gender audits.
According to ICEPCVE, the absence of robust legislation addressing violent extremism has allowed such threats to thrive. Thus, the meeting aims to align legislative efforts with the IGAD Regional Strategy for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism, addressing capacity gaps and promoting inclusive legislation.
