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Conflict in Pastoralist Areas

Conflict in Pastoralist Areas. Pastoralism, Livestock and Policy Training Part Two: Mobility Matters. Andy Catley. Session overview. Types and location of conflict in pastoral areas Causes of conflict Impacts of conflict Responses to conflict – government, NGOs, RECs, AU, others

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Conflict in Pastoralist Areas

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  1. Conflict in Pastoralist Areas Pastoralism, Livestock and Policy Training Part Two: Mobility Matters Andy Catley

  2. Session overview • Types and location of conflict in pastoral areas • Causes of conflict • Impacts of conflict • Responses to conflict – government, NGOs, RECs, AU, others • Recent developments – ‘terrorism’ • Implications for a COMESA regional food security policy for pastoral areas

  3. Types and location of conflict in pastoral areas of the COMESA region • Mapping exercise

  4. Some of the main pastoralist areas of the COMESA Region • Somalia • Observer status • Mainly pastoral Pastoral population ~ 25 million

  5. Major conflicts affecting pastoralist food security in the Horn of Africa • Ethiopia Ogaden region - protracted • Somalia - protracted • Sudan Darfur - protracted • Uganda Karamoja - protracted Many of these conflicts have important regional characteristics … • Recent flashpoint – Eritrea and Djibouti

  6. Causes of conflict (1) • Historical factors e.g. • Colonial borders cutting through traditional pastoral social groupings and ecosystems • The Cold War • Old grievances and mistrusts, largely unresolved • The current geopolitical context – the ‘Global War on Terror’ • Pastoralist areas perceived as high-risk • Winners and losers – the political economy of protracted conflict

  7. Causes of conflict (2) • Competition over diminishing natural resources – pasture and water – due to encroachment of pastoral lands by agriculture, irrigation schemes and more dominant/powerful pastoral groups etc • The culture of livestock raiding now exacerbated by modern weapons • Commercial raiding • ‘Guns for hire’ • Political manipulation, political marginalization • Misguided ‘disarmament’ efforts • Chronic poverty and food insecurity – violence as a means to acquire assets

  8. Causes of conflict (3) • Many of the causes of conflict in pastoral areas now relate to one central factor … …governance • A fundamental role of government is to protect the security of citizens

  9. Impact of conflict (1)Livelihoods analysis – the framework Policies, Institutions, Processes (PIPS) Governance Private sector Policies - formal Policies – informal Laws Culture Social norms Professional norms Livelihood outcomes e.g. More income Reduced vulnerability Better food security Increased well-being and so on … Livelihoods strategies Vulnerability context Shocks Trends Seasonality Assets CONFLICT AND VIOLENCE

  10. Impact of conflict (2) • The main victims of civil and international conflicts are civilians not armed combatants – physical injury, mental trauma, death • Women and children are particularly badly affected • Rape and mutilation of women and girls is a tactic of war and counter-insurgency • Destruction of health facilities and vaccination campaigns • Destruction of education facilities • Destruction/damage to water supplies etc – disease outbreaks • Child soldiers e.g. South Sudan HUMAN CAPITAL

  11. Impact of conflict (3) • Direct and violent depletion of financial assets e.g. livestock, is a tactic or war and counter-insurgency • Disruption of markets – implications for pastoralists • Breakdown of veterinary services – no preventive or curative services • Limited private sector investment – high risks of doing business and trade • Restrictions on movement – seasonal labor migration and remittances • High government military expenditure FINANCIAL CAPITAL

  12. Impact of conflict (4) • Destruction or contamination of water sources as a tactic or war and counter-insurgency • Restricted movement limits access to grazing areas; overgrazing of accessible areas; restricted cross-border movements • ‘No mans land’ areas between conflicting groups • Landmines and unexploded ordnance • Breakdown of traditional institutions for NRM • Scorched earth tactics NATURAL CAPITAL

  13. Impact of conflict (5) • Forced migration – internal and international displacement; break-up of families and communities • Breakdown of traditional safety nets/social support • Breakdown of traditional leadership and institutions • New and violent ‘social norms’ SOCIAL CAPITAL

  14. Impact of conflict (6) • Destruction or damage to roads and physical infrastructure • Destruction of government offices and records • Breakdown of communication and transport PHYSICAL CAPITAL

  15. Impact of conflict (7) • Conflict and violence damages or destroys the five main types of livelihoods asset – human, financial, social, natural and physical • The Horn of Africa – and especially pastoral areas - remain chronically food insecure largely because of conflict • Conflict is the key causative factor in the ‘protracted crises’ or ‘complex emergencies’ which characterize some pastoral areas • In other pastoral areas, local conflicts and raiding undermine development and investment, and contribute to chronic food insecurity

  16. Responses to conflict (1) • Government responses • Regional bodies and AU • NGOs and civil society – conflict resolution • Humanitarian actors – Sphere and protection • The political economy of conflict

  17. Responses to conflict (2) • Government responses include: • Dialogue and negotiation • Conflict early warning systems • District peace committees (or equivalent) • Police or military action/violence • Support to militias • Disarmament

  18. Responses to conflict (3) • Regional and AU responses include: • Facilitation of dialogue and negotiation • Conflict early warning systems • Peace keepers • AU/IBAR Community-based approaches in the Karimojong Cluster

  19. Responses to conflict (4) • NGO and civil society responses – conflict resolution and management: • Community-based approaches: • Village peace committees or similar • Involvement of women • Facilitation of local dialogue and negotiation • Support to traditional peace meetings • Advocacy • Research and documentation

  20. Responses to conflict (5) • Humanitarian actors • The Geneva Convention, the Red Cross movement, international rights-based humanitarian laws and conventions • The emergence of the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response (the Sphere Project) • The re-emergence of ‘protection’ as a core principle of humanitarian action

  21. Responses to conflict (6) • Political economy of conflict: • Who benefits from ‘informal trade’ and tactical asset depletion during conflict? • What are the incentives for some actors to maintain conflict? • The problem of information, witness, testimony and analysis in remote pastoral areas affected by conflict; access issues

  22. Regional issues and GWOTThree narratives “The principle of free movement of people, goods and services is highly relevant to cross-border pastoral areas because it supports the inherently cross-border nature and efficiency of pastoral production systems and livelihoods.” “The principle of free movement of people, goods and services contradicts our anti-terrorism agenda. We need to tightly control our border as part of our strategy to prevent terrorism”. “The answer is not tighter border control and restrictions, but development. When people see government providing services, the relationships between government and communities will improve, and so will security”.

  23. Some implications for a COMESA regional food security policy for pastoral areas • Analysis of conflict is crucial – e.g. causes, political economy, governance issues; costs of conflict • Protracted crises/complex emergencies: • Market-based and livelihoods approaches to food security programming are often possible (cf. food aid) • See experiences from South Sudan, Nuba Mountains and southern Somalia

  24. Some implications for a COMESA regional food security policy for pastoral areas • Lower level conflict environments - typical development strategies such as market support, trade and private sector investment are all hindered by conflict; governance issues have to feature in food security strategies? • Land tenure policies and laws • Cross-border issues – a particular challenge for COMESA? How to rationalize the economic and ecological logic of trans-boundary pastoral livelihoods with security agendas …peace and development dividends • Harmonized approaches and consistent messages – links with other RECs and AU

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