Overview and background

The course is open to men and women, civilian, military or paramilitary.

It aims to familiarise participants with the concepts and mechanisms of disaster risk management (DRM), namely:

Taking part in disaster planning and operational management

Course objectives

Understanding the terminology and the different types of disasters;
Identifying the various actors and their roles in disaster management;
Contributing to the development of a contingency plan;
Learning the basics of disaster medicine;
Acquiring crisis communication tools;
Studying several scenarios in which a DRM process was conducted;
Acquiring practical knowledge to apply in a DRM process.
Course details
Duration: 5 days.
Using a variety of learning methods (presentations, case studies, discussions, group work, audiovisual materials), the course methodology is interactive and participatory.
Participants: 25 civilian, military and police participants from the African Union, working in peace support operations.
Selection criteria for civilian applicants
Gender parity: applications from women are encouraged.
Languages: the course is taught in French.
Origin: participants are African Union citizens + 2 to 3 representatives of African regional organisations (ECCAS, AU)
Course modules
DRM concepts and cycle
International framework
Natural disasters and development
Contingency plan
Emergency plans
Crisis unit
Roles of humanitarian actors
GOC analysis methodology
Roles of defence and security forces and civil protection
Communication plan
Crisis communication
Introduction to disaster medicine
Case study (final exercise)
Special note:
Each trainee has 20 minutes to give a short presentation of their country and armed forces (for military personnel) or of the organisation they belong to (for civilians). It is advisable to prepare this presentation before arriving in Bamako.
Civilian personnel interested in the course who meet the selection criteria should send their CV together with the registration form to candidaturesciviles@empbamako.org – stating the name of the course in the subject line. Of the 25 participants, 13 are civilians. Each trainee receives all course documents and key readings in advance, to make the most of the course week. It is advisable to prepare and read the documentation before the course.

Eligibility requirements

be medically fit to attend the entire course, including field exercises,

be an officer from the rank of captain to lieutenant colonel, or civilian personnel of equivalent level,

have a good command of French or English,

be likely to hold a human rights post in a peace support operation in Africa.

How to register

Applications are made online, using this activity's form, between the opening date and the deadline (11:59 pm, Bamako time). An acknowledgement of receipt is sent by email.

Required documents

• the online application form, fully completed;
• a curriculum vitae (PDF or Word);
• the number of the Moodle certificate “Introduction to the Core Knowledge of Peace Operations”, when the form asks for it.