DDR Initiative Gets 16m Boost

Mar 2 , 2024


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A 16 million euro initiative to facilitate the disarmament, demobilisation, and reintegration (DDR) of nearly 370,000 ex-combatants was launched last week. Financed by the European Union (EU) the program will be implemented across eight regional states. It is overseen by the National Rehabilitation Commission (NRC), the agreement was signed at the Ministry of Finance's headquarters on King George St.

Key figures including Semereta Sewasew, state minister for Finance; Teshome Toga, commissioner of NRC; Ronald Kobia, ambassador to the European Union in Ethiopia; Ramez Alkabarov, coordinator of UN Resident and Humanitarian for Ethiopia; and Samuel Doe, resident representative of UNDP Ethiopia.

Semereta highlighted the substantial resources required for the DDR process, mentioning that the federal government would cover 15pc of the program's finances. She urged other partners to join in providing support to ensure the success of this initiative.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has a history of supporting DDR efforts since the early 1990s, particularly in the aftermath of the Ethiopia-Eritrea war.


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