August 4-5, 2025 (LODWAR, Kenya): IGAD convened the Karamoja Cluster Baseline Validation Workshop under the Peaceful and Resilient Borderlands Programme (PRBP), bringing together national officials, community leaders, cluster coordinators, NGOs the European Union, GIZ, and IGAD’s specialised institutions—CEWARN, ICPAC, and ICPALD. The programme aims to reduce the impact of local conflicts and disasters in cross-border areas by reinforcing coordination, improving information-sharing, strengthening management of transboundary resources and establishing practical steering and learning mechanisms across IGAD clusters. The two-day meeting advanced a shared approach to resilience and coordination across the Karamoja cluster, which spans the borderlands of Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, and Ethiopia.
The Karamoja cluster faces interlinked pressures: resource-based conflict, climate shocks, marginalisation, and weak cross-border governance. The PRBP funded by the EU and co-implemented by IGAD and GIZ, seeks to address these through coordinated, data-driven action at cluster-level. Validating a reliable baseline is essential to align strategies, refine indicators, and guide targeted interventions.
Participants included officials from IGAD Secretariat, CEWARN, ICPAC, ICPALD, GIZ and EU, alongside local governments, community representatives, cluster coordinators, NGOs and regional experts. The agenda also made space for inputs from IGAD specialised institutions and development partners.
The baseline work and agenda discussions pointed to priority actions the coordination structure can take forward: regular tier-one cross-border meetings; community engagement platforms; sectoral working groups; and functional data-sharing systems for timely decision-making. On transboundary resources, recommendations included institutional strengthening, community participation, and joint monitoring to address pressures on grazing, water, and range lands.
The workshop also took stock of existing and emerging coordination arrangements. While ad-hoc forums existed prior to PRBP, partners have since outlined a three-tier structure to knit together government, civil society and specialised institutions across the borderlands—a foundation the Karamoja cluster can now apply and adapt.
In closing, Hon. John Munyes Kiyonga, Peace Envoy for the Ateker Region, and Dr. Feto Esimo, IDDRSI Platform Coordinator, underscored the need for an inclusive, coordinated approach to reduce cross-border conflict and build resilience across the cluster. (Hon. John Munyes is also referenced among Karamoja stakeholders engaged during the baseline process.)
During the PRBP implementation, the cluster will use the validated baseline to guide joint action in conflict mitigation, climate resilience and socio-economic development; working with local authorities and communities, IGAD specialised institutions, and partners including GIZ and the EU.
February 11-13, 2026 (NAIVASHA, Kenya) The Technical Working Group (TWG) training for IGAD lusters I, II and III was convened with funding from GIZ under the Peaceful and Resilient Borderlands Programme (PRBP) framework.
In attendance were ICPAC, ICPALD, GIZ technical officers (epidemiology and diagnostics specialists) from Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and South Sudan, representing national and sub-national animal health authorities across IGAD Clusters I, II and III.
The session was officially opened by Dr. Romona Andanyi on behalf of the Director of Veterinary Services Kenya. In her remarks, she underscored the increasing threat of TADs in pastoral borderlands, the urgent need for coordinated, risk-based surveillance approaches, the importance of digital systems in enhancing real-time reporting & outbreak response, and the responsibility of TWGs to translate policy agreements into operational collaboration.
Speaking on behalf of the ICPALD Director, ICPALD’s Animal Health Expert, Dr. Wamalwa Kinyanjui, emphasized ICPALD’s commitment to strengthening regional animal health coordination, operationalizing information-sharing protocols, and institutionalizing TWGs as sustainable cross-border platforms
Mr. Tonny Mwaniki representing GIZ highlighted the linkage between animal health, resilience, livelihoods, peacebuilding and regional stability in borderland clusters, reaffirming GIZ’s support toward strengthening digital early warning systems and cross-border cooperation.
The training aimed to strengthen technical capacity and cross-border animal health early warning systems by equipping TWG members with skills in epidemiological surveillance, risk-based monitoring, laboratory diagnostics, and interoperable digital surveillance systems through integration of KABS, ADNIS, and DOVAR into the HUSIKA regional platform.
Participants reaffirmed commitment to:
Operationalizing MoUs and information sharing protocols.
The cluster action plans developed during the training will guide implementation over the next 6–12 months, with emphasis on early warning, outbreak prediction, and coordinated cross-border response to priority TADs.
Background
The IGAD borderland clusters—Karamoja (Cluster I), Moyale (Cluster II), and Mandera Triangle (Cluster III) are predominantly pastoral and agro-pastoral zones where livestock mobility across borders is central to livelihoods, trade, resilience, and food security. Seasonal migration to access or in search of pasture and water, coupled with dynamic formal and informal livestock trade, sustains millions of households in these regions. However, these same mobility dynamics combined with porous borders, climate variability, recurrent droughts, insecurity, conflict over natural resources, weak infrastructure, and limited veterinary service coverage create high-risk conditions for the introduction and spread of priority TADs.
Although a signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), Implementation Frameworks and an Animal Health Information Sharing Protocol exist among participating countries, their operationalization has remained limited due to gaps in national resource allocation, technical capacity, epidemiological analysis, laboratory diagnostics, digital interoperability, and risk-based surveillance systems.
National digital animal health surveillance systems: Kenya Animal Bio-Surveillance (KABS) System in Kenya, and the Animal Disease Notification and Investigation System (ADNIS) & Disease Outbreak and Vaccination Activity Reporting System (DOVAR) in Ethiopia generate valuable disease intelligence.
At the regional level, HUSIKA provides a multi-hazard early warning and communication platform. However, structured integration and interoperability between national systems and HUSIKA have not been fully operationalized.
*HUSIKA is a multilayered, multi-hazard early warning and communication platform designed to enhance disaster resilience in the greater Horn of Africa
At sunrise in Dukana, the mudy border between Ethiopia and Kenya slowly comes alive. Women arrange grains and handmade goods under makeshift stalls, greeting customers in a mix of Borana, Amharic, and Swahili. There is no tension here, only trade, laughter, and quiet determination.
For many like Halima Guyo, a cross-border trader from Moyale, this scene was once unimaginable. “Before, we feared crossing,” she says. “There were conflicts, and we didn’t know who to trust. Today, I sell my goods on both sides. I earn more, and my children go to school.” Halima’s story reflects a broader transformation taking place along the Ethiopia–Kenya border, one shaped by deliberate cooperation between communities, governments, and regional institutions under the African Union Commission (AUC) and Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Joint Action Plan on border governance.
From Fragile Borders to Shared Opportunities
For years, the Moyale borderlands were marked by recurring conflict, limited coordination between authorities, and weak peace structures. However, through the efforts of the African Union Commission (AUC), IGAD’s Conflict Early Warning and Response Mechanism (CEWARN), and support from GIZ and other partners, a new approach has taken root—one that views borders not as dividing lines, but as shared spaces of opportunity. Central to this transformation are the Cross-Border Peace Committees and the Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution (CPMR) platforms. Bringing together community leaders, government representatives, and civil society actors from both Kenya and Ethiopia, these platforms have become the backbone of local peacebuilding efforts. “We have moved from reacting to conflict, to preventing it,” explains Edward Goko, Deputy County Commissioner on the Moyale-Kenya side. “Through regular dialogue and joint planning, we address issues before they escalate,” he noted. The impact is already visible: cross-border tensions have reduced, coordination between Ethiopian and Kenyan authorities has improved, and joint initiatives such as the Dukale cross-border market are fostering economic interdependence and strengthening peaceful coexistence.
Strengthening cross-border coordination.
Working closely with IGAD-CEWARN, the African Union Border Programme (AUBP), and national and local authorities, GIZ, through the Strengthening IGAD Migration Policy Implementation II (SIMPI II) and Strengthening IGAD’s Capacity to Increase Resilience in the Horn of Africa (SCIDA III) programmes, has supported the operationalization of Cross-Border Facilitation Units (CBDFUs) as coordination hubs along the Ethiopia–Kenya border. These hubs have created a shared framework that brings together government actors, CPMR platforms, civil society organizations, and development partners to strengthen cross-border cooperation and coordination.
The establishment of the CBDFUs has significantly reduced fragmentation among stakeholders by aligning priorities and ensuring that cross-border initiatives are implemented as part of a coherent regional strategy rather than in isolation. The approach has encouraged joint planning, collaboration, and collective learning among actors operating across the borderlands. “Stakeholders’ inclusion has helped us sit at one table,” notes Dida Galma, an IGAD CBDFU official in Moyale. “Before, actors worked in parallel. Now, we plan together, implement together, and learn together.”
Through the Peaceful and Resilient Borderlands Programme (PRBP), GIZ has further provided technical support to strengthen the capacity of CPMR platforms, facilitate structured dialogue among the Moyale, Mandera, and Karamoja clusters, and connect local peacebuilding initiatives to regional policy frameworks such as the Niamey Convention. This support has enhanced collaboration across different governance levels while reinforcing mechanisms for conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and resilience.
This multi-level coordination approach, linking community voices to regional decision-making processes, has been instrumental in translating policy into practical action on the ground. By fostering stronger institutional linkages and inclusive cooperation, the programme has helped build more sustainable systems for cross-border governance and peacebuilding. “Our role is to connect the dots between communities, governments, and regional institutions, so that cooperation becomes systematic, inclusive, and sustainable, while offering technical support to the programmes,” noted Dr. Bedru Muzein, GIZ’s Head of Component.
Peace Restored in Sololo–Miyo: From Conflict to Coexistence.
The impact of sustained peacebuilding efforts is equally evident along the Sololo–Miyo border, a region that endured more than 35 years of intermittent conflict between communities in Ethiopia and Kenya. For decades, insecurity disrupted livelihoods, weakened social cohesion, and fractured cross-border relations, while key economic hubs such as the Dukane market struggled to function due to recurring clashes and deep-rooted mistrust. Today, however, that narrative is gradually changing. Through strengthened cross-border cooperation, revitalized CPMR platforms, and community-led peace structures supported by IGAD, the African Union Commission (AUC), and development partners, Sololo–Miyo is experiencing a renewed period of peaceful coexistence and collaboration.
The reopening and steady operation of the Dukane market has become a powerful symbol of restored trust, resilience, and economic recovery in the borderlands. Communities that once viewed one another with suspicion are now trading, interacting, and rebuilding shared livelihoods across the border. Reflecting on this transformation, Mr. Dabassa Dambi, Chairperson of the Cross-Border Committee from Sololo, noted: “We have seen what conflict does, it takes everything. Now we choose peace, because we see what it brings back.”
Learning Across Borders: From West Africa to East Africa.
A turning point came in April 2025, when representatives from Moyale and Sololo travelled to the Mali–Guinea border to learn from well-established cross-border cooperation models in West Africa. The exchange visit exposed participants to functioning systems of joint development planning, shared financing mechanisms, and locally driven governance structures that have strengthened peace and cooperation across borders. “The experience in West Africa showed us what is possible when communities are at the centre,” said Calmus Omogo, Director for IGAD CEWARN. “We saw functioning joint development plans, shared financing mechanisms, and strong local ownership.”
Back in Moyale, these lessons are already being adapted to the local context. Cooperation among stakeholders has strengthened, and there is growing momentum to institutionalize frameworks similar to West Africa’s Local Cross-Border Cooperation Groupings. According to AUBP representative Daniel Azene, “The Niamey Convention provides the legal foundation, but it is through initiatives like this that we see it come to life through people, partnerships, and practical action.”
Women at the Heart of Peace and Prosperity.
One of the most significant outcomes of the initiative has been the empowerment of women engaged in cross-border trade through the Building Foundations for Sustainable Peace (BFSP) approach implemented by Strategies for Northern Development (SND) Organization. In Moyale, informal women traders, who were once marginalized and highly vulnerable to insecurity and economic instability, are now increasingly organized into groups, trained, and supported to strengthen and expand their businesses across the border. The initiative has also created stronger networks of collaboration and mutual support among women traders, enabling them to share information, collectively address challenges, and contribute to peaceful coexistence within their communities.
“Before, we worked alone,” says Fatuma Wario, a local trader. “Now, we are part of a group. We share information, support each other, and even resolve disputes peacefully.”
Through these daily cross-border interactions, women are not only improving their livelihoods but are also helping to build trust, strengthen social cohesion, and reinforce local resilience. Through the BFSP approach, women have become active agents of peace rather than simply beneficiaries of assistance. Their growing economic participation is contributing to stability within households and communities while supporting broader peacebuilding efforts across the borderlands. Reflecting on the programme’s impact, Dida Ali, Executive Director of SND, noted: “Economic resilience is peacebuilding. When women can trade safely and earn a living, they stabilize families and communities. Ours is to confront the crisis, build resilience and transform lives.”
Challenges on the Path to Integration.
Despite these notable successes, several challenges continue to affect the effectiveness and sustainability of cross-border cooperation structures. Limited institutional capacity, resource constraints, and gaps in awareness remain key obstacles, with some peace committees still lacking the technical skills and operational support needed to fully execute their mandates. Coordination between national and local levels also requires further strengthening to ensure more consistent implementation and oversight. In addition, stakeholders continue to call for clearer legal frameworks and stronger government ownership, particularly through the ratification and domestication of the Niamey Convention. “We have made progress, but sustainability requires stronger systems, more investment, and continued political commitment,” noted Ethiopia’s Moyale Mayor, Galma Koropicha.
A Shared Vision for the Future.
The Moyale exchange meeting brought together voices from across the region, including local authorities, community members, the African Union (AU), IGAD, GIZ, and implementing partners such as Strategies for Northern Development (SND) and the Life & Peace Institute, to reflect on progress, share experiences, and chart the way forward for cross-border cooperation and peacebuilding. The gathering created an important platform for dialogue and collective learning among stakeholders working to strengthen peace and resilience in the borderlands.
Key priorities emerging from the discussions included institutionalizing CPMR platforms within formal governance structures, strengthening Cross-Border Facilitation Units (CBDFUs) as coordination hubs, and expanding joint economic initiatives such as cross-border markets. Participants also emphasized the need to enhance the inclusion of women, youth, and marginalized groups in peacebuilding processes, while adapting successful cooperation models from West Africa to the IGAD context.
Dr. Bedru Muzein, who led the technical team support from GIZ to the conference through the SIMPI II project, captured the collective ambition of the initiative, noting: “Our goal is simple but powerful — to turn every border into a space of cooperation, not conflict.”
A Border Reimagined.
As the sun sets over Dukale, traders begin packing up and counting the day’s earnings. For Halima and many others, the border is no longer a barrier but a lifeline that supports livelihoods, strengthens relationships, and creates new opportunities for communities on both sides. The renewed activity in the market reflects a broader transformation taking place across the Moyale borderlands, where cooperation and peaceful coexistence are steadily replacing years of mistrust and insecurity.
What is unfolding in Moyale is more than a local success story. It is a living example of how continental frameworks such as the Niamey Convention, regional coordination by IGAD, and technical support from partners like GIZ can translate into meaningful change on the ground. It demonstrates that when communities are empowered, institutions collaborate, and borders are reimagined not as lines that divide, but as bridges that connect, peace becomes not only possible, but sustainable.
Article author: Brian Otwal
This week, ICPAC in partnership with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, is leading a 4-day training workshop in Mandera, Kenya, bringing together technical experts from Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia. As part of the EU-funded Peaceful and Resilient Borderlands Project, we are strengthening the capacity of the Mandera Cross-Border Technical Working Group on Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems and Disaster Risk Management. From drought monitoring tools like Drought Watch to joint contingency planning, the goal is clear: ensure that early warnings trigger early action—across borders, sectors, and communities.
In a region that experiences hot and dry conditions year-round, this support is strengthening community resilience and enabling pastoralist households to sustain their livelihoods even during prolonged droughts. Farmers also received training in agroecology, equipping them with climate-smart skills for long-term impact.
For decades, the Turkana of Kenya and the Nyangatom and Dassanach of Ethiopia have lived at the edge of survival. Borders had become markers of tension, grazing lands contested, and a single raid could ignite cycles of revenge lasting generations.
Climate stress, shrinking pasture, porous borders, and the proliferation of small arms have over the years turned everyday life into a gamble with violence.
But one weekend at the beginning of 2026, in Omorate, something extraordinary happened: the sound of gunfire was replaced with songs and built hope for a chance for peaceful co-existence.
The Transboundary Peace Advocacy Campaign was supported through the European Union funded ‘Strengthening Integrated Peace, Resilience and Disaster Risk Reduction (SPREAD) project, implemented by DanChurchAid in Kenya and Ethiopia, together with partners Tupado and the Ethiopian Catholic Church Social and Development Commission (ESS-SDCO).
The campaign brought together leaders, youth, women, elders, and security actors from both sides of the Kenya-Ethiopia border, not to negotiate from a distance, but to meet face to face, speak truth, and reclaim shared humanity.
There is no progress in conflict — a call from leadership
Opening the engagement, Mr. Bekele Lokoroma, South Omo Regional State Deputy Zonal Head of Security, stated that conflict is a huge contributor to underdevelopment and does not give a chance to improve situations.
“There is no progress in conflict. Stealing and violence only take us backwards. Peace allows us to share water, pasture, and even protect our wildlife together.”
Bekele Lokoroma, South Omo County Head of Security
His words were not abstract. He acknowledged the realities facing the region, especially the displacement of neighbouring communities like the Merille due to lake expansion, and urged compassion over exclusion. “Welcome them. Share with them. Live together. They are people, just like us, facing a situation beyond they ability to amend,” he urged.
In a region where scarcity often fuels hostility, this call reframed peace as shared survival, not weakness.
Omorate: Where old enemies sat as old friends
Holding the engagement in Omorate was symbolic.
This border town has long been associated with raids, fear, and separation. Yet during the campaign, Turkana and Dassanach youths, some previously divided by active conflict, reunited, ate together, shared stories, and spent nights under the same skies
Instead of planning raids, youths discussed how to reach peers still eager for violence and bring them into dialogue spaces. Peace, once confined to boardrooms, had moved where it mattered most: the kraals and grazing fields.
Peace that opens borders, markets, and schools
From the Kenyan side, Mr. Emmanuel Achuka, Ward Administrator, spoke of tangible change: “The peace we have initiated has opened our borders for business. Our children can go to school without fear.”
Yet his message was also a reminder: peace must deliver development. He highlighted urgent needs for schools and water services in remote kraals like Nang’usilng’atuny, reinforcing that peace without services is fragile.
Assistant County Commissioner Steve Juma (Kibish) echoed this, addressing the community in the local language: “Last year, there was no bloodshed. That is not a small thing.”
He reaffirmed the commitment of both governments to sustained dialogue, coordinated security, and cross-border cooperation, adding , “We are one community, only separated by borders.”
“We are one community, only separated by borders.”
Steve Juma, Assistant County Commissioner, Kibish
When a football replaced guns
Perhaps the most powerful moment apart from the speeches was at the football pitch.
A Sport-for-Peace match brought together cross-border traders and administrators in a game that ended in a 2–2 draw. There was no obsession with winning. Players exchanged jerseys, laughed, and embraced. The Dassanach and Turkana youth also took to the pitch in a friendly match that ended in a 2-1 win for the Dassanach youth. This was celebrated by all teams.
One footballer, Joseph Ekal, captured the spirit of the day: “Even when someone played rough against me, I did not respond with anger. Because at the end of the day, whoever wins, we remain brothers.”
For communities where young men are often mobilised into violence, this was a powerful reimagining of masculinity, strength, and rivalry.
“Even when someone played rough against me, I did not respond with anger. Because at the end of the day, whoever wins, we remain brothers.”
Joseph Ekal
For communities where young men are often mobilised into violence, this was a powerful reimagining of masculinity, strength, and rivalry.
The SPREAD approach: peace woven into livelihoods
What makes this intervention under the SPREAD project different is how peace is built.
Through the project, peacebuilding is not treated as a standalone activity, but woven into livelihoods, resilience, and local governance. The project works across the entire peace ecosystem, national and county governments, peace committees, kraal elders, youth and women groups, security actors, CSOs, and faith-based organisations
TUPADO Executive Director, Mr. Sammy Ekal, emphasized that the peace sought after will continue to opened doors for business, for friendship, and for dignity.”
His appeal was clear and urgent, “We pray that both governments fully own this initiative long after donor funding ends.”
This peace will ensure prosperity, let us guard it
Sammy Ekal, Executive Director, TUPADO
His appeal was clear and urgent, “We pray that both governments fully own this initiative long after donor funding ends.”
From songs to strategy: rewriting the story of the border
Traditional dances, peace songs, storytelling, and a vibrant peace caravan through town transformed Omorate into a living statement: peace is not just negotiated, it is also celebrated.
One Nyang’atom artist, Lotiono Nyaamuara, told the crowd:
“This is the biggest event I have ever performed in. Many people know my peace songs, but today I finally met my fans.”
He announced a new peace song dedicated to SPREAD, proof that culture remains one of the strongest vehicles for reconciliation.
A fragile peace, a shared responsibility
The Turkana–Dassanach conflict did not emerge overnight, and it will not disappear overnight either. But the events in Omorate showed what is possible when communities are trusted, youth are engaged, women are included, and peace is linked to everyday survival.
Dollo Ado, Ethiopia - July 21
The Building Opportunities for Resilience in the Horn of Africa (BORESHA-NABAD) team in Ethiopia, from consortium partners Danish Refugee Council and the Rural Agency for Community Development and Assistance (RACIDA), participated in a high-level stakeholder review workshop hosted by the DRC Ethiopia Area Office in Dollo Ado. The session brought together government stakeholders from regional, zonal, and woreda levels, as well as key local partners.
The workshop served as a platform for stakeholders to review achievements, share lessons, and gather feedback aimed at informing adaptive programming. The BORESHA-NABAD team shared updates on implementation progress, strategic priorities, and plans aligned with government-led efforts in animal health, climate-smart agriculture, income generation, and peacebuilding.
Stakeholders commended the programme’s inclusive systems approach, which was noted for its community-driven, facilitative design. The approach seeks to strengthen local systems and promote sustainability across the borderlands of Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya.
“From the testimonies shared by our Woreda staff, we are pleased to learn that BORESHA is highly consultative and closely aligned with government initiatives. What stands out even more is its strong commitment to locally led solutions and its emphasis on strengthening systems through partnerships, rather than relying on a direct delivery model,” said a representative from the Somali Regional Government.
Funded by the European Union, BORESHA-NABAD is part of the broader EU Peaceful and Resilient Borderlands Initiative, which supports cross-border resilience and peacebuilding efforts in Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia. In Ethiopia, the programme is implemented by the Danish Refugee Council in partnership with RACIDA.
The Peaceful and Resilient Borderlands Programme (PRBP) has successfully conducted the first cross-border coordination forums in Moyale and Mandera clusters, which targeted the establishment and hosting of cross border steering committees.
The Peaceful and Resilient Borderlands Programme (PRBP) is a Multi-Donor Action: Support for Enhanced Effective Coordination of Peaceful and Resilient Borderlands for below IGAD border clusters.
♻️ Karamoja Cluster
♻️ Mandera/Somali Triangle Cluster and
♻️ Moyale/Moyale Cluster
The program focuses on the Horn of Africa region, particularly within the IGAD clusters covering Ethiopia, South Sudan, Somalia, and Kenya. Notably, these countries share common socio-economic and cultural ties but also face challenges such as conflict, migration, climate change, and underdevelopment.
The overarching program’s objective is to reduce the impact of local conflicts in the borderlands and enhance resilience in three IGAD clusters of the Horn of Africa.
The program will specifically reinforce coordination on cross-border management, including local authorities and IGAD as well as intensify sharing of information to mitigate conflict and promote socio-economic development.
The Peaceful and Resilient Borderlands program will answer to below thematic outputs:
✅ Cross-border coordination by identifying and supporting IGAD structures.
✅ Raising awareness on cross-border policies with national governments, local authorities, private sector and civil society in the 3 IGAD Clusters.
✅ Strengthening the management of transboundary resources.
✅ Coordination of components and clusters by establishing and hosting steering committees and other coordination mechanisms such as developing and conducting monitoring and evaluation.
May 12-15, 2025 (Moyale), through its Peaceful and Resilient Borderlands Programme (PRBP), conducted a baseline validation mission in two key cross-border areas: the Moyale Cluster and the Mandera Triangle Cluster. This programme aims to enhance peace, resilience, and sustainable development in the IGAD borderlands that share common socio-economic and cultural ties, but also face challenges such as conflict, migration, climate change, and underdevelopment.
The first leg of the mission on 12th to 13th May was convened in Moyale, Ethiopia, and the second on 14th –15th May 2025 in Moyale, Kenya for the Mandera Triangle Cluster (tri-border area shared by Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia). The Baseline Validation Workshop focused on validating baseline findings and consolidating coordination mechanisms.
This forum brought together representatives from local governments, NGOs, implementing partners, and IGAD’s Cross-Border Facilitation Unit. It aimed to promote joint learning, strategic collaboration, and evidence-based decision-making.
The first day of the workshop featured a presentation of the IGAD coordination structure and its Terms of Reference, group discussions facilitated by National Focal Points and implementation Committees to assess coordination efficiency, recommendations for improving thematic coordination, particularly in communication and information flow, presentations on IGAD’s Specialised Institutions and a strategic discussion on the way forward.
The second day incorporated an overview of key outputs and the coordination platform’s structure, presentation of baseline findings and strategic recommendations, and thematic group sessions on transboundary natural resource management, cross-border coordination, policy harmonisation, and institutional frameworks.
Enhanced cross-border coordination, policy advocacy and awareness, sustainable resource management were some of the key outputs of the workshops. These baseline validation workshops were crucial in establishing a coordinated, inclusive, and locally grounded approach to peace and development in the IGAD borderlands. The workshops concluded with a plenary session where participants reached consensus on actionable strategies to strengthen peace, resilience, and collaboration.
The PRBP is being co-implemented by IGAD and GIZ to reduce the impact of local conflicts in the borderlands and enhance resilience in the three IGAD clusters in the Member States of Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and South Sudan.
Avenue Georges Clemenceau Djibouti, Republic of Djibouti P.O. Box: 2653 Email: prbpcoordiantion@igad.int TEL: +251 21 33 02 12
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Co-financed by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and implemented by GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) in partnership with IGAD.
The Peaceful and Resilient Borderlands Program (PRBP) is jointly co-financed by the European Union (EU) and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH as part of the Strengthening the Capacities of IGAD to Increase Resilience in the Horn of Africa Project (GIZ SCIDA III) in close collaboration with The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
The Peaceful and Resilient Borderlands Programme (PRBP) has successfully conducted the first cross-border coordination forums in Moyale and Mandera clusters, which targeted the establishment and hosting of cross border steering committees.
The Peaceful and Resilient Borderlands Programme (PRBP) is a Multi-Donor Action: Support for Enhanced Effective Coordination of Peaceful and Resilient Borderlands for below IGAD border clusters.
♻️ Karamoja Cluster
♻️ Mandera/Somali Triangle Cluster and
♻️ Moyale/Moyale Cluster
The program focuses on the Horn of Africa region, particularly within the IGAD clusters covering Ethiopia, South Sudan, Somalia, and Kenya. Notably, these countries share common socio-economic and cultural ties but also face challenges such as conflict, migration, climate change, and underdevelopment.
The overarching program’s objective is to reduce the impact of local conflicts in the borderlands and enhance resilience in three IGAD clusters of the Horn of Africa.
The program will specifically reinforce coordination on cross-border management, including local authorities and IGAD as well as intensify sharing of information to mitigate conflict and promote socio-economic development.
The Peaceful and Resilient Borderlands program will answer to below thematic outputs:
✅ Cross-border coordination by identifying and supporting IGAD structures.
✅ Raising awareness on cross-border policies with national governments, local authorities, private sector and civil society in the 3 IGAD Clusters.
✅ Strengthening the management of transboundary resources.
✅ Coordination of components and clusters by establishing and hosting steering committees and other coordination mechanisms such as developing and conducting monitoring and evaluation.