Capacity-building in the East Africa Region Working Group

Co-chaired by Egypt and the European Union, the Capacity-building in the East Africa Region Working Group aims to address terrorism and violent extremism dynamics and requirements in the region by mobilizing adequate resources. It provides a forum for information exchange, networking, and cooperation among a variety of stakeholders to promote dialogue, understanding, sharing of analysis and lessons learned with a view to build collaborative partnerships in and for the region.

The current areas of focus of the Capacity-building in the East Africa Region Working Group are:

  • Homegrown Terrorism and Returnees
  • National and Regional P/CVE Conducive to Terrorism Action Plans
  • Gendered Perspectives in CVE/CT
  • Strategic Communications
  • Dialogue and Community Engagement    
  • Nexus Between Organized Crime and Terrorism
  • Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism Conducive to Terrorism in Prisons

Additionally, the EA Working Group is:

  • Encouraging the implementation of the Rabat Memorandum on Good Practices for Effective Counterterrorism Practice in the Criminal Justice Sector Arabic | French (Rabat Memorandum), specifically those good practices relevant to the criminalization of terrorist activities and the use of legal frameworks to promote rule of law-compliant responses to terrorism in the East Africa region.
  • Promoting regional and international cooperation and providing an avenue for civilian counterterrorism capacity-building coordination.
  • Providing a forum for networking and cooperation among a variety of stakeholders to promote dialogue, understanding, analysis-sharing, lessons learned, and collaborative partnerships.

Working alongside and in support of countries in the East Africa Region (Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Yemen), Local Coordination Meetings are organized throughout the year, with the aim of promoting GCTF Framework Documents, and providing follow-up and assistance on ongoing capacity-building programs and activities in the region.

The GCTF Capacity-building in the East Africa Region Working Group was established in September 2017 to broaden the scope of the previous GCTF Horn of Africa (HoA) Working Group. The HoA Working Group was active between 2011 and 2017 and Co-Chaired by the European Union and Turkey. 

The Working Group publishes regular Newsletters:

A Mapping Report of the Working Group's activities is also published annualy:

Explore the activities of the GCTF Working Groups here