Border Security and Management in the Sahel - Phase II Project No. DSH-4000000964 Final Narrative Report In Fafa (Gao Region, Mali), a group of young girls take part in a recreational activity as a prelude to an awareness-raising session on the risks associated with the presence of small arms and light weapons in the community (March 2019) Funded by 1 PROJECT INFORMATION Name of Organization: Danish Refugee Council – Danish Demining Group (DRC-DDG) Project Title: Border Security and Management in the Sahel – Phase II Grant Agreement #: DSH-4000000964 Amount of funding allocated: EUR 1 600 000 Project Duration: 01/12/2017 – 30/09/2019 Countries: Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger Sites/Locations: Burkina Faso: Ariel, Nassoumbou, Markoye, Tokabangou, Thiou, Nassoumbou, Ouahigouya Mali: Fafa, Labbezanga, Kiri, Bih, Bargou Niger: Koutougou, Kongokiré, Amarsingue, Dolbel, Wanzarbe Number of beneficiaries: 17 711 beneficiaries Sustainable Development Goal: Goal 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions Date of final report 30/01/2020 Reporting Period: 01/12/2017 – 30/09/2019 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Border Security and Management Programme was launched in 2014 by the Danish Demining Group’s (DDG). Designed to improve border management and security in the Liptako Gourma region (border area shared by Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger), the programme applies an innovative and community-based cross-border approach in the interests of the communities living in the border zones, with the aim of strengthening the resilience of those communities to conflict and armed violence, including violent extremism, namely through: • Facilitating endogenous processes to identify community security needs and priorities by its members; • Supporting the implementation of locally defined responses as part of this endogenous vision of human security at the community level; • Building local capacity for prevention, peaceful management and conflict mediation, including working with existing local mechanisms, but also with local and community radio stations, women's organizations and youth associations; • Providing risk education on small arms and light weapons and landmines and other explosive devices; • Supporting the establishment of constructive dialogue frameworks between local communities and state institutions (civil administration and defence and security forces); • Strengthening cross-border relations and cooperation, through communication, collaboration and co-building responses to common cross-border challenges. Since December 2017, the second phase of the Border Management and Security Programme has been implemented, with a financial contribution from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. The programme has consolidated its activities in the border communities where BSM activities began in 2014. The overall objective of the project under review was to promote stability, build resilience and prevent and reduce armed violence in border areas in the Liptako Gourma region by ensuring improved community safety, effective, accountable and responsive border security and management and cross- border collaboration. To achieve this objective, the project worked across 16 intervention communities spread over Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, plus 2 extension communities in Mali (Bentia and Karou in the Circle of Ansongo, Gao Region). During this period, the project reached 17,711 beneficiaries. (Annex 1: Map of the area of intervention). A first no-cost extension was granted in December 2018 and a second one in June 2019, extending the original duration of the project by 7 months. Those no-cost extensions were necessary due to the challenges of working in a difficult area where the security situation has deteriorated massively during the period, but also to certain HR challenges, including high rate of staff turnover in key posts, which slowed programme’s implementation. The institutional context of the programme raised a further challenge because of the merger — first in terms of operations and later identity — between the DDG and the Danish Refugee Council (DRC). Even though, according to the external evaluation conducted in 2019: “The « Border Security and Management » Programme has been a remarkable success since its launch in 2014”1, demonstrating that the intervention logic of DDG’s approach has proved to be valid. This report covers the period from 01/12/2017 to 30/09/2019 of the project “Border Security and Management in the Sahel – Phase II”. 1 Évaluation Formative Indépendante du Programme « Border Security and Management », 2014-2018. 3 ACTIVITIES & RESULTS Outcome 1: Community resilience is strengthened through building community safety, conflict management capacities and preventing youth-at-risk engaging in violent extremism in border areas Community Safety DDGs community safety approach encourages communities to engage in their own safety based on their own capacities and resources. Through a participatory and inclusive process communities are invited to define a common vision of security taking into account both the needs common to all, as well as the specific needs of certain groups: women - men, girls - boys, young - old, specific socio- professional status, etc. Based on this vision, it is then a matter of prioritizing the essential challenges and proposing solutions taking into account the resources available. This exercise results in Community Safety Plans (CSP) which takes into account both physical security needs — and propose to respond to them through actions such as dialogue with the defence and security forces, risk education on small arms and mines and other explosive remnants of war, or public information on state of emergency measures —, and basic social needs, the absence of which is a risk factor. The solutions proposed in the CSP for basic social needs often include income-generating activities, particularly for at-risk groups, small community infrastructure such as wells, health posts, classrooms, etc. In the framework of the project, a total of 13 community safety plans (CSP) were updated & monitored with follow-up meetings held on a monthly basis with community members, as detailed below: • Burkina Faso: 6 CSP updated & monitored in the communes of Bom and Tokabangou (Oudalan Province), Arréel and Damba (Soum Province) in the Sahel Region, and in the communes of Kain and Yensé (Yatenga Province) in the North Region. • Mali: 5 CSP updated & monitored in Fafa and Labbezanga villages in the Circle of Ansongo (Gao Region), and in the villages of Koro, Kiri and Bih in the Circle of Koro (Mopti Region). • Niger: 2 CSP updated & monitored in the villages of Kongokiré and Koutougou in Tillabéri Department (Tillabéri Region). A total of 4412 community members participated in CSP related sessions, out of which 34% were women and 17% youth (among which 47% were young girls). Engaging in community safety plans discussions has helped to maintain a participatory dynamic in the management of concerns at community level. Meetings between CSP committee members were spaces of free exchange and reflection, were all categories of people were able to participate. Once the CSP are developed, validated by the community and presented to local authorities, their implementation is the primary responsibility of the community and works are done by community members to ensure genuine local ownership. Operationalisation of these plans starts with the creation of local committees composed by women and men from the community. These committees meet regularly to plan, pilot and monitor the implementation of plan's priorities. Plans’ activities are carried out by community members according to their skills for specific activities and rely primarily on local resources available at a lower cost. DDG provides technical, logistical and financial support to meet the needs that cannot be met by the community alone. Hence, DDG’s support consists in providing a limited number of manufactured materials that cannot be produced within the community, such as sheets of metal, ceiling installation and concrete. DDG also engages in dialogue and advocacy with 4 local authorities for them to support other community needs. In a logic of accountability, committees report regularly to the community and keep local authorities informed of plan's implementation progress. In Kiri (Circle of Koro, Mopti region, Mali) for example, DDG supported community members who mobilized to build the livestock pound foreseen in community’s CSP. The pound was then inaugurated in the presence of local authorities, and has since reduced conflicts related to livestock theft or damage caused by stray animals. Other examples of concrete initiatives from the Community Safety Plans implemented with project’s support, include: • Support with donkey-drawn ploughs for community fields in Bom (Oudalan Province, Sahel Region, Burkina Faso) • Construction of a health post (“case de santé”) equipped with solar panels in Koutougou (Tillabéri Department, Tillabéri Region, Niger) • Construction of a livestock pound for stray animals whose presence used to be a source of conflict between Kiri and Bih communities (Circle of Koro, Mopti region, Mali) • Material support for the construction of 02 latrines and equipment support to promote sport and social cohesion in Tokabangou (Oudalan Province, Sahel Region, Burkina Faso) • Training provided on soap production and marketing in Fafa (Circle of Ansongo, Gao Region, Mali) • Vocational training provided with starting kits in sewing, motorcycle mechanics and water pump