Mandera/Somali Triangle Cluster

The Mandera Triangle is one of the Horn of Africa's most complex cross-border regions, where recurrent conflict, climate shocks, pastoral mobility and humanitarian challenges require coordinated responses across Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia. Under the Peaceful and Resilient Borderlands Programme (PRBP), GIZ has played a strategic coordination role, convening IGAD institutions, national and county governments, implementing partners and community actors to strengthen cross-border governance, peacebuilding and resilience.

Working closely with the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), IGAD specialised institutions, including CEWARN, ICPAC and ICPALD and government counterparts from the three countries, GIZ has coordinated interventions that link community-level resilience initiatives with regional policy and governance frameworks. Through joint planning, technical coordination and structured dialogue platforms, the programme has strengthened institutional collaboration, enhanced ownership of cross-border processes and laid the foundation for sustainable peace and resilience in the Mandera Triangle.

Output 1: Reinforced Cross-Border Coordination and Early Warning

• Coordinated Engagements

Unlike the Karamoja and Moyale clusters, where existing peace structures were strengthened, GIZ coordinated efforts in the Mandera Cluster to establish new cross-border coordination mechanisms capable of addressing emerging conflict and climate-related risks.

Working through CEWARN, ICPAC, DRC and government institutions from Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia, the programme facilitated:

• • Establishment and operationalization of Conflict Prevention and Resolution Mechanisms (CPRMs) across the cluster.
  • Formation of cross-border coordination structures to strengthen collaboration between government institutions and local peace actors.
  • Capacity building for Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems (MHEWS) to improve institutional preparedness and anticipatory action.

  • Participation of Technical Working Groups in regional training on Transboundary Animal Diseases (TADs) coordinated by ICPALD to strengthen disease surveillance and cross-border information sharing.

  • Rollout and operationalization of the HUSIKA Early Warning Platform, enhancing digital early warning, coordinated risk analysis and timely dissemination of information among institutions across the three countries.

• Coordination Results

The coordinated interventions strengthened institutional collaboration across the Mandera Triangle by:

• • Supporting the establishment of new Conflict Prevention and Resolution Mechanisms to strengthen local peace infrastructure.
  • Enhancing coordination among government authorities and technical institutions from Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia.
  • Building the capacity of 26 technical officers in Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems (MHEWS) and Disaster Risk Management (DRM).
  • Supporting the generation and dissemination of one climate early warning alert, improving anticipatory action and preparedness.
  • Strengthening coordinated risk monitoring, information sharing and response mechanisms for conflict and climate-related risks across the cluster.

• DRC's Contribution

As the implementing partner, the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) complemented GIZ's coordination role by strengthening community resilience and facilitating inclusive engagement with vulnerable border communities. Leveraging its extensive humanitarian and resilience programming experience in the Mandera Triangle, DRC supported community stabilization initiatives, strengthened community-based conflict prevention mechanisms, facilitated cross-border dialogue, and enhanced participation of local stakeholders in governance and peacebuilding processes. These efforts ensured that community perspectives informed regional coordination mechanisms while strengthening local ownership of peace and resilience interventions.

Through its broader presence in the region and collaboration with partners including the Church of Sweden, UNDP, Swedish Mission Council, Chemonics, DT Global, UN Peacebuilding Fund (UNPBF), Somalia Stability Fund, Peace Incentive Fund, Sida, the Embassy of the Netherlands, the Robert Bosch Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation, DRC also contributed to improved complementarity and coordination among development, humanitarian and peacebuilding actors operating in the Mandera Triangle.

Output 2: Strengthening Cross-Border Policy Coordination and Awareness

• Coordinated Engagements

Working with IGAD ICPALD, veterinary authorities and county governments from the three countries, GIZ coordinated policy awareness and sensitization forums aimed at strengthening regional cooperation on livestock health and pastoral mobility.

The engagements focused on:

• • Animal Health Information Sharing Protocols.
  • Cross-border veterinary cooperation frameworks.
  • Regional approaches to livestock disease surveillance and management.

• Coordination Results

The coordinated engagements contributed to:

• • Increased awareness among county governments, border authorities and technical institutions on regional animal health frameworks
  • Improved readiness for coordinated animal disease surveillance, reporting and response.
  • Strengthened institutional collaboration among veterinary authorities from Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia.

Output 3: Coordinating Sustainable Transboundary Resource Management

• Coordinated Engagements

Recognising that competition over shared natural resources remains a major driver of conflict in the Mandera Triangle, GIZ coordinated technical collaboration between ICPALD, government institutions, DRC and local stakeholders to strengthen transboundary resource governance.

The coordinated process included:

• • Multi-stakeholder consultations on sustainable management of shared rangelands, water resources and livestock corridors.
  • Joint discussions on conflict-sensitive approaches to natural resource governance.
  • Contributions to the development of regional roadmaps for transboundary resource management.

•  Coordination Results

The coordinated engagements resulted in:

• • Enhanced stakeholder participation in dialogue on resource-related conflict prevention.
  • Stronger collaboration among technical institutions, government agencies and community actors.
  • A solid foundation for future formalized agreements on the sustainable governance of shared natural resources across the Mandera Triangle.

Output 4: Strengthening Cross-Border Governance and Coordination Architecture

• Coordinated Engagements

GIZ coordinated implementation of the PRBP governance framework in the Mandera Cluster by bringing together government institutions, IGAD specialised entities, implementing partners and development actors through structured coordination platforms.

The cluster actively participated in:

• • Cluster Project Technical Coordination Committee (CPTCC) meetings.
  • Cluster Stakeholder Engagement Platform (CSEP) meetings.
  • Joint harmonization and planning workshops that aligned interventions across the three countries.

These platforms promoted collective planning, technical coordination, monitoring and knowledge sharing among stakeholders.

• Coordination Results

The strengthened governance architecture contributed to:

• • Improved alignment of interventions among local, national and regional institutions.
  • Strengthened implementation oversight and coordination across the Mandera Triangle.
  • Enhanced knowledge sharing, joint planning and collective action among government agencies, IGAD institutions, implementing partners and development actors.
  • Increased institutional ownership and sustainability of cross-border governance and resilience initiatives.

Overall Coordination Impact in Mandera Cluster

Through its coordination role in the Mandera Triangle, GIZ has strengthened collaboration among Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia by creating structured platforms for joint planning, policy dialogue and coordinated action. By working alongside IGAD institutions, government authorities and the Danish Refugee Council, the programme has established

new cross-border coordination mechanisms, strengthened early warning and anticipatory action systems, improved governance of shared natural resources, and fostered stronger institutional partnerships. This coordinated approach has enhanced the collective capacity of regional and local actors to address conflict, climate risks and pastoral mobility challenges, laying a stronger foundation for sustainable peace, resilience and cross-border cooperation across the Mandera Triangle.