Collaborative response to conflict trigger accountability dynamics along Turkana and Jie borderlands

Target Beneficiaries

Border communities in Kenya (Turkana in West and Loima sub-counties) and Uganda (Matheniko, Jie and Dodoth in Moroto, Kotido and Kaabong districts)

Context

Border areas in Turkana West and Uganda remain immersed in cycles of violence, posing serious challenges to stability across the region. Traditional practices, such as livestock raiding, have taken on new, more violent forms. As climate change, reoccurring droughts, and systematic overuse continue to put pressure on resources, increased conflict has been inevitable.

The culminated effect here is directly affecting Kenya (Turkana in West and Loima sub-counties) and Uganda (Matheniko, Jie and Dodoth in Moroto, Kotido and Kaabong districts respectively).However, current temporary favorable climate on the part of Turkana, who have migrated back to Kenya, has had them launch retaliations on their Jie and Dodoth counterparts as a result of flashback on high number of livestock lost whilst in Uganda. Organized raids are executed by the later in response to Turkana “recovery “effort. Thus, there has been exaggeration of numbers of livestock reported to have been lost through isolated theft compensatory processes when kraals lived peacefully together in Uganda for the period 2018 to January 2020. This underlying issue has had a setback in government response to stolen livestock recovery and hand-over efforts in the two countries. It is therefore imperative that:

• Conflict entrepreneurs have taken advantage of the fragile nature of relative peace and so make use of any moment of conflict; not considering its nature.
• The numbers of livestock reported to have been lost through whatsoever means by an individual are far much beyond the total livestock population in that particular kraal.
• Efforts by established peace committees to help trace and recover lost livestock have been frustrated by lack of governments support.
• During the on-set of droughts, Turkana shall migrate back to Uganda and a replica such of causal factor is likely to arise.
• Illegal livestock markets have thrived.

Objective (s)

The overall objective for this course of action is to achieve “Improved cross-border human security and peace building collaborative response effort.”

Specific objectives include:

• To strengthen existing conflict mitigation structures.
• To inculcate a culture of accurate information sharing in conflict zones.
• To improve security surveillance for early warning planning purposes.
• To prevent further livestock theft by establishing identity mitigation measures.

Methodological Approach

• Conduct resource sharing meetings
• Support intra and intra kraal policing forums
• Equip peace committees with communication gargets (mobile phones) to coordinate security surveillance reporting.
• Support inter-governmental consultation meetings for Kenya and Uganda
• Conduct lobby and advocacy meetings
• Support inter-governmental livestock census and or branding
• The project implementation followed a gender inclusive approach

Results

• Resources sharing enhanced. During inter-governmental meeting held in Moroto on 3rd March 2021 for Kenya and Uganda, the minister for state- Karamoja affairs approved the Turkana migration to Uganda in search of water and pasture.
• Livestock recoveries were improved. In a meeting in Uganda on 3rd March 2021, it was reported that the Jie had attacked a Turkana kraal at Kosekona. The government of Uganda responded swiftly by employing air surveillance. Over 300 shoats belonging to Turkana were recovered within 3 hours.
• Business has been enhanced. Ongoing engagements between Turkana and Jie, with the later moving closer to the border has made roads safe once more. Vehicles carrying business goods in and out of either country are now moving freely.
• Government commitment aroused. In the past two months, we have experienced Kenya and Uganda governments reaching out to each other through invites. This demonstrates how they are concerned about the welfare of borderlands communities.
• Women participating in peace building works. Dialogues in the past have been the affair of men only. Precipitated by cultural inclinations, women could not even sit under one tree with men. The culture as changed drastically. Women are now taking center stage in negotiations for they play a societal role of being mothers, sisters, wives, in-laws e.t.c. Their influence has a spill –over effect.

Impact

• Promoting behavioral change of youth of the conflicting communities by sowing seeds of mutual trust and peace targeting youths from the rivalling communities of the Turkana and their neighbors
• Bringing the youths, who would otherwise not have the chance for any peaceful exchange, together and make them deal with issues of peace. This is aimed to lead to mutual trust rather than mistrust and animosity and in doing so, to overcome the persistent negative prejudices over resource sharing.
• Bringing Turkana grazing management and natural resource governing committees together to map resources available and advice on the grazing pattern to be adopted so as they would be waiting the government to engage Uganda.

The project has contributed to the promotion of Development of Capabilities for Border Governance, Conflict Prevention and Resolution, Border Security & Transnational Threats, Mobility, Migration & Trade Facilitation, Cooperative Border Management and, Borderland Development & Community Engagement which are the main pillars of the AU Border Governance Strategy.

Success Factors

• The engagement of Kraal elders and elder led peace initiatives have led to the success of the implementation of the project. Additionally, equipping peace committees with communication gadgets have improved the coordination of human security, information sharing and peace efforts.
• Engaging women as the main participants in peace building works have had spill-over effects which has been crucial for the overall success of community peacebuilding.

Constraints

• Bad road and terrain. Whenever it rains, roads become impassable.
• Government bureaucracy. Government lengthy protocols make decision making difficult. Their comprehensive processes have slowed down implementation.
• Covid-19 protocol. Cross border certification for travels has from time to time made coordination complicated.

Sustainability

• The project was built on the already existing peace keeping mechanisms such as local peace committees and aimed at enhancing their capacity. The provision of communication gadgets will have a lasting effect on the timely exchange of information for peace initiatives.
• The projects effect on the attitude of communities to be more open to social reconciliation will also provide peace initiatives with a continued success leading to an enduring peace in the region.

Replicability

• The engagement of Kraal elders and elder led peace initiatives has proven to be one of the success factors for the overall implementation hence can be utilized for successful implementation in similar contexts. Participation of women has also contributed and is equally important to replicate such a project.
• The project’s build-up on pre-existing peace keeping structures such as peace committees and enhancing their capacities has shown remarkable success which implies that replication of such a project will require the strengthening of such peace keeping structures. It further shows that a large-scale replication is possible by strengthening local peace keeping structure where they are available.