WANEPs Management Team is made up of :

Emmanuel Bombande         - Executive Director

Chukwuemeka B. Eze           - Programs Director

Esther Gordon-Mensah       - Administrative Manager

The West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) continued in 2010 with determined efforts to sustain itself as a viable and credible Civil Society Peacebuilding Organisation in West Africa. These efforts increased WANEP’s leverage and capacity to enhance and contribute to Peacebuilding initiatives across the sub-region. In line with WANEP’s principle of accountability, I am delighted to present to you, a summary account of our contribution to Peace and Human Security in West Africa in 2010.

At the Regional Secretariat, Chukwuemeka Eze, the former National Coordinator for WANEP-Nigeria replaced Takwa Suifon as Program Director. Mr Suifon joined the African Union Peace and Security Commission at the end of 2009. In 2010, WANEP’s strategic plan was revised and rationalised at the regional level while maintaining core program objectives and enhancing their implementation at national levels. The benefits of such reorganisation are remarkable as regional programs have impact in a vertical capability from community to national and regional levels. National Networks are now optimising responses to national specific issues informed by peacebuilding practice experiences of other national networks. Such cross fertilisation and exchange is contributing enormously to the promotion of human security in the sub-region from the generation of local knowledge and practice. There is huge satisfaction of increasing capacity at national level. WANEP’s presence is therefore manifested more in local communities and national levels while coordination from the regional level provides professionalism and efficiency. A direct outcome is increasing complimentary support and work with National Governments and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). In some countries, WANEP was invited to play intermediary roles and provide mediation in sensitive internal political and inter-communal conflicts.

[Extracted from WANEP Annual Report, 2009]

2009 was a signifi cant milestone for the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP). At the regional level, WANEP concluded the celebrations of its 10th anniversary with a special General Assembly. The opportunity to celebrate also provided space for institutional introspection. At the time of its founding, West African civil society peacebuilding practitioners engaged in working with conflict were very few. While a few international organisations mainly operating from Europe worked on West African conflicts, the programs designed where unsustainable as there was little local ownership, expertise and institutional capacity of West Africans to sustain peacebuilding efforts. The story today is different. Peacebuilding in West Africa is largely locally driven. West African Governments have now integrated peacebuilding in some of their departments and ministries. From both the national to regional levels, responding to conflicts has been significantly transformed with more emphasis on prevention. 

[Extracted from WANEP Annual Report, 2008]

In September 2008, the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) accomplished 10 years of collaborative peacebuilding in West Africa. This is remarkable. Sustaining institutional capacity as a regional network organisation though challenging has been rewarding and appreciated not only in West Africa but on the African continent and globally. Following its establishment in September 1998, WANEP sustained the efforts of Civil Society collaborative efforts in building peace.