Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how the current executive MSc in security sector management programme, run in Ethiopia with oversight from his Department, differs from the Department for International Development's similar MSc programme which was closed in June 2015.

The MSc programme was restarted in 2015-16 under the Conflict Security and Stability Fund, reflecting the security focus of the syllabus. It differs from the DFID-funded programme as it draws students from across the region, thereby contributing to the National Security Council (NSC) objective of enhancing regional peace and security in East Africa, whereas the previous MSc was primarily for Ethiopians. There are ongoing efforts to improve the diversity profile of the student intake, in terms of age, gender and military/civilian balance; and to identify more students from African Union countries, in support of the NSC objective to build the African Union's capacity to reduce, manage and resolve conflict and crises in Africa.