Fikremariam Tesfaye
10 November 2009
Ethiopian and Kenyan ministers are working to address cross-border conflicts between pastoralists of Somali cluster, they disclosed in the course of the Cross Border Peace Meeting from 2-4 November, 2009 at the border town of Moyale, some 775 km South of Addis Ababa.
The joint effort of the countries would help address and sustain the peace and security of the border, which is fundamental for development of the region, said both ministers.
Dr. Shiferaw Teklemariam, Minister of Federal Affairs of the Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and Mohamed Ibrahim, Minister of State for Development of Northern Kenya and other Arid Lands, have been engaged in discussion to strengthen current efforts in mitigating pastoralist and related conflicts amongst the cross-border communities of Ethiopia and Kenya including the Borana, Gabbra, Garre, and Murule.
The Somali Cluster which covers border areas of Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia is home to various pastoralist communities that engage in violent conflict over limited resources.
The Ethiopian Minister said, "The mobilization of local level peace structures necessitates the creation of cross border linkages in order to foster region-wide peace initiative." The purpose of the meeting was to create such linkages between the different institutions working on the Somali cluster. This would increase the ability to sustain solutions for the purpose of peace and would ensure the active participation of the local communities in peace efforts.
Since the ratification of the Conflict Early Warning and Response Mechanism (CEWARN) protocol in 2003 by seven member states, the Ethiopian government has been making concerted effort to create and strengthen the early warning and response components of the CEWARN mechanism on the Ethiopian side at National, Regional, Woreda and Local levels as structures of the Conflict Early Warning and Response Unit (CEWERU), According to the Minister.
The Kenyan Minister Mohamed on his part said that the government of Kenya is also working to develop a strategy to end communal violence among pastoral communities in Northern Kenya. The strategy addresses four elements: the state fulfils its basic duty of protecting its citizens, all politicians spearhead the search for peace, communities change the attitudes, practices and beliefs which perpetuate violence and comprehensive regional policy to facilitate collaboration and coordination between neighboring states.
The three days meeting was organized by Conflict Early Warning and Response Mechanism (CEWARN), the Ethiopia and Kenya national Conflict Early Warning and Response Unit's (CEWERU's), as well as the Regional Livelihood Enhancement in Pastoralist Areas (RELPA) /Enhanced Livelihood in Mandera Triangle (ELMT) and Enhanced Livelihood in Southern Ethiopia (ELSE).
CEWARN's report indicates that, from May 2003 through January 2009, over 207 violent incidents, 255 human deaths and over 16,400 livestock raids happened.
Participants of the cross-border peace meeting include Ministers, members of parliaments, commissioners, government representatives of both countries, Oromia regional state officials, religious and community leaders, and influential local elders.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2009 The Daily Monitor. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
