A convention of significance was held to strengthen the resilience of cross-border communities in the Horn of Africa. The IGAD Centre for Pastoral Areas and Livestock Development hosted the Horn of Africa Regional Knowledge Share Fair. The event, supported by USAID’s Cross-Border Community Resilience (CBCR) activity, focused on sharing the results of resilience programming across the Karamoja, Moyale, and Mandera clusters, which span parts of Uganda, Ethiopia, and Kenya.
The fair brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including representatives from IGAD, national and local governments, international NGOs, community members, and development partners like USAID, Germany, Sweden, and the European Union. The goal was to promote sustainable development, peace, and prosperity through collaborative efforts and policy influence.
Over the two-day event, participants engaged in panel sessions on critical themes, including discussing resilience project outcomes in cross-border programming, exploring sustainable development and peaceful coexistence strategies, addressing climate change impacts on pastoral communities, reviewing challenges and opportunities in animal feed security and livestock production, and focusing on the One Health approach to managing human and animal diseases in cross-border areas amid climate change.
In his opening remarks, IGAD Deputy Executive Secretary Mohamed Ware highlighted the importance of cross-border cooperation for resilience and development. Having grown up in a border area between Somalia and Ethiopia, he shared personal insights into the challenges and opportunities border communities face. He emphasized the need for resilience among these communities, who often endure cycles of drought and floods and face security challenges.
Ware also stressed border communities’ critical role in IGAD’s core peace and security mandates and economic and political integration. He outlined strategic directions for enhancing resilience, including strengthening institutional frameworks, developing robust early warning systems, promoting sustainable agricultural practices, and building social resilience through education and healthcare.
Principal Secretary Kello Harsama, representing Kenya, reaffirmed the country’s commitment to building resilience in ASAL (Arid and Semi-Arid Lands) communities. He noted that Kenya has collaborated with neighboring countries, supported by IGAD, to enhance cross-border cooperation and peaceful coexistence.
Harsama highlighted ongoing initiatives, such as transforming the livestock sector and developing market and range management strategies, to address the challenges of climate change and resource conflicts.
The Horn of Africa Regional Knowledge Share Fair underlined the importance of collaborative efforts in addressing the unique challenges cross-border communities face.
Stakeholders aim to build a resilient and sustainable regional future through shared knowledge and coordinated actions. The event concluded with a call to continue fostering partnerships, enhancing policy harmonization, and investing in the resilience of communities across the IGAD region.
