Crossborder dynamics and security in the southern Ethiopia-northern Kenya borderlands

CROSSBORDERDYNAMICSANDSECURITYINTHESOUTHERNETHIOPIA-NORTHERNKENYABORDERLANDS

FIONAFLINTAN,ILRI(INTERNATIONALLIVESTOCKRESEARCHINSTITUTE)ANDILC(INTERNATIONALLANDCOALITION)

GOVERNMENT PERSPECTIVE • 530mileborder,withMoyaleatitsheartestablishedbyBriHsh/ItalianspliLngGabraandBoranterritories.Treaty1970.NotfullydemarcatedsHlltoday.

• GovernmentpoliciesinKenyacontainmentratherthanengagementandmorerecentlyimpunity;inEthiopiaagenerallackofengagementandmorerecentlyethnicfederalisminfluencingdecisions.

• AbsenceofeffecHvebordercontrols• IssuesofnaHonalsecuritye.g.EthiopiangovernmentmakesporadicincursionoverborderinpursuitofOLF;“fighHngbetweenpastoralistgroups”.LackofcontroloverlocalmiliHas(andsecurityforces).

CUSTOMARY PERSPECTIVE • Trans-clanandtrans-naHonaltradenetwork• TradiHonofresource-sharingandmovementacrossborder.CustomaryinsHtuHonsstrongerinEthiopia.

• “Free”movementofpeople(goods,culture&kinship,schools&healthposts)andlivestock

OromoviewoftradiHonalterritoryacrossthreecountries

Golbo Grazing Area – crosses border MigraHonpa`erns50yearsago(Elias2006/2015).Splitseparated“motherfromchild”(GufaOba2013).

Migration patterns today (Elias 2009/2015)

Major livestock trading route

Ethiopia-Kenya(Moyale)livestocktradingroute

• Todatemuchtradeinformal–toleratedbygovernments.• Astudyconcludedtheeconomicvalueofca`letradeinexcessof2mUSD,butonly38%isformal–1.2misinformal(BassaandWoldamanuel2015).• AtMoyalenumberoftaxespaid–eithersideofborder.• Studysaidonly2100USDintaxes(0.2%).• Mutualunderstandingamongstborderofficialsandtraders.• Fewbanks–foreignexchangeblackmarket.• Lackofinfrastructure.• Lackofhumanandanimalwelfare• LackofprotecHonoflivestockroutes• Manyadvocatethatifformalisedmoneycouldbereinvestedintheabove.Stepsbeingtakentowardsthis.

High variability in vegetation and climate changes

Steadilydecliningrainfallandincreasedtemperaturessince1976(Elias2015)

Source:IBLI

Other movements across border – Prosopis juliflora (CABI 2016)

Source:CEWARN2015

Source:C

EWARN

2015

History of conflict • Conflictsoccurintheformofca`lerustling,inter-ethnicandclanviolence,yetincreasinglyarepoliHcisedandhavemorecomplexcauses,sparkedbyaparHculareventorintervenHon.

• 1960sshikamovement–armedSomaligroupswhoturnedonlesser-armedBoran.OgadenwarbetweenSomaliandEthiopia–armedBoranagainstSomali.

• 1990sSomaliGarrisupportedEthiopiagovt,OLFmeantBoranostracised.LossofBoranalandtoSomaliregion.GarriiniHatedprocessofincorporaHngMoyaleintoSomaliregion(GLR–GarriLandRepublic).

History of conflict • 2009conflictovernewboreholedrilledbyOromiagovt–70,000Borandisplaced

• GarriandBoranconflict2012–30,000BoranfleeingintoKenyathroughMoyale

• OnKenyasideGabraturnedagainsttheBoranandworkedtowardsousHngthemfromEastofIsiolo-MoyaleHighway.PartnershipwithGarriandclansinKenya.SupportfromKenyasecurityforces.FighHngbetweentwo.

• DecentralisaHon–GabrawontopseatsinelecHon2013elecHonandBoranexcludedfromcountygovt.ChangesinboundariesbyElectoralBoundaryCommission.PushbyGabratoremoveBoranfromlandsinkenya–incessantfighHngincludinginMoyale.70,000fleeingtoBorana,Ethiopia,lossoflivesandlivelihoods,infrastructureetc.

Peace-building initiatives • Local–ModogahseDeclaraHonfornorthernKenya2001revalidated2011

• SupportedbyNGOs/CSOse.g.reciprocalgrazingagreements;cross-bordercommi`ees

•  IOMandKenyagovernmentsupporHnginter-clanandcross-borderdialoguesalongtheborder.

• NaHonalpoliciesandprogrammes

• 20billionKShsMarsabitCounty/BoranaZoneKenya/EthiopiagovtIntegratedCross-border&Area-basedProgrammesupportedbyIGAD.

•  IGAD–CEWARUandCEWARN

CHALLENGES:ConflicthighlypoliHcised;lossofcustomaryauthority;commercialisaHonofleadership;corrupHonandlethargyingovtadministraHon(K);internaHonalsecuritydimensions;arms;religiousfacHons;ethnicity;

Land insecurity is fundamental issue

• LackofitonbothsidesledtorangelandfragmentaHon,lossofkeyresources,blockageoflivestockroutes,degradaHon,conflict,lossofresilience(copingstrategiescompromised)

• CommunityLandAct(2016)inKenyaandcommunallandtenuresystem(Ethiopia).

• CountyspaHalplanning(Kenya)andnaHonal/locallanduseplanning(Ethiopia).

• MappingandprotecHonoflivestockroutes.

• ElecHonsKenya2017–landissuescentral.

Future initiatives that will impact area and volatility – Challenges & opportunities

Other initiatives • CommunityLandAct2016KenyaandpilotsoncommunallandtenureinEthiopia

• UnemploymentofyouthandtargeHngprogrammestothem

•  IniHaHvessuchasIBLI–Index-basedLivestockInsurance

• UNEA2Res.2/24CombaHngdeserHficaHon,landdegradaHonanddroughtandpromoHngsustainablepastoralism&rangelands;InternaHonalYearofPastoralists&Rangelands

•  IGAD:MOUonAnimalHealthandSanitaryMeasures;drakTranshumanceProtocol