Contributing to Peace and Sustainable Solutions in a Non-conventional Displacement Situation: A Case of Kenya-Ethiopia Border in East and Horn of Africa

Abstract

Recurrent inter-communal conflicts fuelled by land and resource disputes among Pastoralists and agro-pastoral communities in Oromia and the Somali region in Ethiopia, combined with continuous climate (drought) shocks, have led to the destruction of livelihoods and community assets, human suffering (deaths, injuries, disease outbreaks) and caused large-scale population displacements from Dawa and Liban zones in Ethiopia to Mandera County in Kenya. A case in point is one crisis in July 2018, where a huge population of Ethiopian refugees was forced to flee across the border to Kenya in what was described as a non-conventional refugee situation. It was non-conventional because neither the Ethiopia nor Kenya states acknowledged the presence of these refugees. This made it difficult for humanitarian responders to assist the displaced and other affected communities. The chapter will use this case study from the Ethiopia, Kenya border displacement to describe the intricacies and dynamics by various stakeholders involved in responding to the non-conventional displacement scenario. It will provide an analysis of the situation based on a survey carried out at the time and the sustainable peace solution sought under the circumstances. The paper will also describe the relationships that evolved between the host community and the “refugees” with a view to provide a conceptual framework for addressing similar situations in the future.