The International Peace Support Training Institute (IPSTI) has graduated the first batch of 20 officers with Master of Arts degree in peace and Security Management today.

The first batch of MA graduates for the institute is comprised of 8 women, and 12 men, of which the three men are from neighboring Uganda, South Sudan and Kenya.

The two-year training was financially and technically supported by the Government of Japan and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

During the graduation ceremony, Japan’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, Ito Takako stated that Japan has provided the financial and technological support, noting the significance for national, continental and global peace and security.

She was particularly thrilled by the fact that 8 or 40 per cent of the graduated offices were women.

Ethiopia is not only one of the founding members of the UN and AU, but its participation in UN peacekeeping mission or peace support operations date back to 1951.

According to UN report, Ethiopia is among the top troop contributors to UN peacekeeping operations as well as the top contributor of female peacekeepers.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency