Spilling Blood Over Water: The New Dynamics In Borderland Conflicts In The Horn Of Africa

Abstract

Although Kenya is considered to be peaceful unlike her neighbors, a closer scrutiny reveals an unprecedented wave of internal and cross-border conflicts. These conflicts - mainly manifesting as political, economic, environmental conflicts, conflicts over natural resources, land and tribal clashes and lately terrorism - are sending signals that all is not rosy as the outside world has been erroneously been made to believe. The resource-based conflicts prevalent in ASALs have completely distorted development programmes and eroded civil administration of this vast and rugged countryside.  However, for many years, nomadic herdsmen have roamed the harsh, semi-arid lowlands that stretch across 80 percent of Kenya and 60 percent of Ethiopia. These herdsmen have long been accustomed to adapting to a changing environment but in recent years, they have faced challenges such as dwindling water supplies forcing the pastoralists migrate in search of suitable water and land. The search has brought tribal groups in Ethiopia and Kenya in increasing conflict. The result has been cross-border raids in which members of both groups kill each other, raid livestock, and torch huts over grass and water. The main aim of this paper therefore,  is to provide an overview of current existing policies, institutions and other measures that impact on conflict management in Kenya. It also highlights the principles that act as the 'lens' through which the policy analysis is conducted to identify the policy interventions and lessons learnt that should be integrated into a holistic and cohesive peace building and conflict management policy.