Kenya’s peace envoy for the Ateker region, Hon. John Munyes, led the launch of a cross border peacebuilding initiative targeting communities in conflict hotspots such as Todonyang, Lokamarinyang’, Kokuro and Nadapal.
The move is expected to hasten the opening of the Kenya-Ethiopia border points along the Napeimukat and Omorate area to ease trade relations and cultural exchange.
The initiative, spearheaded by an international peacebuilding agency Saferworld, aims to address decades-old conflict between the Turkana of Kenya and the Dassanach of Ethiopia, often fuelled by competition over pasture, fishing resources and water along the borderlands.
The two-year program will be jointly implemented by Saferworld in collaboration with local NGOs TUPADO and ApAD.
According to the peace envoy, the initiative seeks to promote dialogue, strengthen grassroots peace structures, and support alternative livelihoods to reduce dependence on conflict-prone resources.
“We have a commitment as government to work with peace actors across the border. This initiative provides the operational framework needed to make peace practical,” said Munyes, who was accompanied by local administrators, security officials, and county peace officers during the launch.
The launch comes less than three weeks after top officials from Turkana County and Ethiopia’s South Omo held a high-level dialogue on peace that resolved to fast-track cross-border cooperation.
The dialogue was prompted by renewed violence in Todonyang that left scores of people dead, sparking regional and international alarm.
Munyes said the new program is a direct response to resolutions made during the peace forum, including the formation of joint peace committees, youth-led initiatives and the empowerment of pastoralist communities to diversify their income.
“Peace isn’t just about disarmament—it’s about giving people options, dignity and a shared future,” he said.
County Government officials present at the launch welcomed the initiative, terming it a timely intervention that aligns with the County’s own peace and conflict management agenda.
Saferworld Country Director Mathew Logurale said the organisation is committed to working with both state and non-state actors to entrench sustainable peace.
“Our role is to support local solutions. With TUPADO and ApAD on board, we are confident that this program will be rooted in community realities,” he said.
Adding that the program targets some of the region’s most vulnerable groups—young people, women and pastoralist leaders by creating platforms for dialogue and capacity building, Logurale insisted that the initiative also promoted inclusive participation in decision-making.
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