EASF Rolls out the PSO Foundation Course

The Eastern Africa Standby Force rolled out a two weeks' Civilian Peace Support Operations (PSO) Foundation Course on 24th July 2017 at the International Peace Support Training Center (IPSTC) in Karen, Nairobi.

The PSO Foundation Course is the first capacity building step for professional civilian personnel who are generally eligible and genuinely interested in serving in a PSO carried out by the African Union or EASF. The Foundation Course is a pre-requisite for the inclusion of successful participants in the EASF roster and admission to suitable future EASF specialization training.
 
The course is designed to provide an in-depth understanding of the conceptual framework of PSOs and to analyze the main tasks usually performed by the civilian personnel in peace missions. It provides participants with insights into the structures and specific functional units in peace operations, their mandates and lessons learned from previous mission experiences. Moreover, the course contributes to the creation of a sense of common identity among future mission members who have different professional, organizational and cultural backgrounds.

During the opeinng session, the EASF Director, Dr Abdillahi Omar Bouh thanked EASF Member States for availing participants to attend the course. He underlined the importance of maintaining and enhancing the Full Operational Capability (FOC) attained by the Standby Force in 2014 through regular trainings and capacity building. Dr. Bouh underscored the importance of engaging civilians in conflict resolution as well as post conflict reconstruction owing to the fact that they are the key stakeholders in matters of peace and development.
 
A total of 30 qualified civilians from EASF Member States as well as trainers from the continent are taking part in the course. It has been fully funded by the European Union together with the African Union through the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA).

Photo Gallery: Civilian PSO Foundation Course