A meeting to exchange experiences on conflict prevention and pastoralism (1) was opened on Tuesday 10 April at the headquarters of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA) during a ceremony chaired by Mr Anatole Ayissi, Chief of Cabinet/UNOCA. In his welcoming address, he recalled the challenges of this two-day meeting and expressed the hope that it would lead to recommendations to "prevent and resolve violence between communities". He clarified this approach is necessary to avoid "major conflicts", including those between farmers and herders. 

In this regard, the experience of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) is crucial. Its two representatives at the Libreville meeting made available to participants the Conflict Analysis Manual published in March 2018 by UNOWAS. This educational tool provides information to better understand and apprehend the issues addressed, particularly those related to actual or potential conflict situations. 

The exchanges will promote, inter alia, the adoption of a coordinated approach to these cross-cutting phenomena which are at the heart of the concerns of UNOCA, UNOWAS, ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) and ECCAS (Economic Community of Central African States). Two ECCAS experts follow the work. FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) and UNAMA (United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic) are also taking part in this meeting.

The meeting is jointly organized by UNOCA and UNOWAS. It shall end on Wednesday 11 April 2018.