At a high-level UN side event, experts discuss the two nations success in preventing violent extremism and conflict in the Horn of Africa. The Horn of Africa (HOA), consisting of the nations of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia, is one of the most disputed regions in the world. Since…
At a high-level UN side event, experts discuss neighbours Kenya and Ethiopia’s success in preventing violent extremism and conflict in the Horn of Africa.
Background
The Horn of Africa (HOA), consisting of the nations of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia, is one of the most disputed regions in the world. Since the 17th century, it has experienced a number of armed conflicts and been plagued by ethnolinguistic disputes and religious radicalism. The shared border of Ethiopia and Kenya have been fraught with trouble. Ethiopia is the only African country that was never really colonised by Europeans. While the rest of Africa decolonised and modernised, albeit, after the second world war, Ethiopia remained under the feudal rule of their emperor, Haile Selassie – who was deposed only in 1974. By this time, the modern world had largely passed Ethiopia by and the country had become known for poverty and famine.
Moyale is a market town on the border of Ethiopia and Kenya, which is split between the two countries: the larger portion is in Ethiopia which is split by the Oromia Region from the west and the Somali region from the east, and the smaller is in Marsabit County, Kenya.
The residents of the Marsabit have had as wretched an existence as their Ethiopian counterparts. Communities around the border are often marginalised, not incorporated in the government’s socio-economic programmes, and are generally left behind. The authorities of the impoverished, conflict-riddled border decided that the time was right for the common problems to be addressed by a common approach.
On the first of October, a high-level UNGA side-event on cross-border peace initiatives along the Kenya-Ethiopia Border was co-organized by the Permanent Representations of Ethiopia and Kenya to the United Nations alongside the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) to discuss the experience of Kenya and Ethiopia, and the Horn of Africa in the prevention of violent extremism and conflict.
Analysis
This cross-border initiative was partially a response to the evolving threat of violent extremism that has set in motion a dramatic reversal of socio-economic progress already made and threatens to stunt prospects of development for decades to come across many countries.
Several encouraging policies have been adopted and implemented by the neighbouring nations. The policy of addressing and preventing violent extremism and conflict includes building the resilience of individuals and local communities through education, capacity building programmes, fighting marginalisation and a strong engagement in border areas emphasising the role of youth and women and improving livelihoods.
Towards this objective, Ethiopia and Kenya have adopted decentralisation policies in the form of devolution [the transfer or delegation of power to a lower level]. These policies have been implemented to delegate fiscal, administrative and financial authority to regional and county authorities. Through the devolution, authorities have established closer cooperation and coordination with border communities, which has helped to effectively fight terrorism and violent extremism and conflict.
Under-Secretary-General Vladimir Voronkov, Head of the United Nations Office of CounterTerrorism (UNOCT), told participants that it was critical to recognise the importance of border security and the challenges that many countries face in preventing the transnational movements of terrorists. “The collaboration between Kenya and Ethiopia is a demonstration of the importance of tackling the threat of radicalisation, violent extremism and conflict in a collaborative manner,” Mr. Voronkov said. Ms. Eziakonwa of UNDP commended the initiative and said that “the root of extremism is exclusion from the economy and society”.
The two nations have successfully turned their borders into bridges, instead of barriers to development and integration. Theirs is an inspiring story of peaceful sustainable development along borders, instead of insecure marginalised hubs of terrorism. In the words of IGAD Executive Secretary, Mr. Mahboub Maalim, “cohesive linkage through collaboration among all stakeholders enhances cross-border cooperation, ensures that we deny space to extremists and undermines their violent ideology.”
In the Horn of Africa region, there are several encouraging developments in strengthening neighbourly relations and peace consolidation among countries in the region. This offers new possibilities to develop comprehensive regional approaches to prevent violent extremism and radicalisation while furthering security and development.
Assessment
Our assessment is the innovative approaches of Kenya and Ethiopia’s cross-border programme to prevent radicalization and violent extremism, carries lessons for conflict-ridden states in the Horn of Africa and beyond. We believe the success of this approach presents an opportunity to explore ways in which similar cross-border initiatives could be replicated in other regions facing similar challenges.
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