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Resource Based Conflict Network in the Horn of Africa

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Pastoralism in the Horn of Africa

The countries of the Horn of Africa are some of the poorest in the continent. All of them have significant numbers of pastoralists, and it is among these people that PENHA works. There are over 25 million pastoralists in the Horn of Africa - varying from one twentieth of the population in Uganda to over half in Somalia.

Nomadic pastoralists are herders of cattle, camels, sheep and goats and live in the very dry regions of Africa and Asia. They have to move for the water and pasture necessary for their animals. Some have permanent bases with the men and animals leaving their bases for the three to six months of dry weather. Others move as complete families. Governments, which are based on settled communities, have great difficulties in dealing with them.

As a way of using available resources and not overgrazing the land, pastoralism is a rational and environmentally friendly way of life. However, it is also very uncertain and subject to the variations in weather conditions from year to year.

A number of the studies which have been done – on education, on health, on communications such as roads and on the participation of pastoralists ino the decision-making processes of their countries – show that pastoralists and pastoral areas have historically been neglected.

However, changes are gradually beginning to take place. Some countries are beginning to recognise that as well as deserving to be supported and properly considered in national planning, pastoralists can and do make significant contributions to the economies of their countries. With the help and support from NGOs such as PENHA, community based organisations and international donors, pastoralists are becoming more effective in demanding their own rights in addition to adapting their way of life to take advantage of a changing world. PENHA and its many local partners have played and continue to play a significant part in the development of pastoralist policy and livelihoods.

The table below gives a country by country summary of the different pastoralist groups with population numbers and the Human Development Index (HDI) for each country. The HDI is a composite index based on the level of education, the health of the nation and the Gross Domestic Product per head, taking account of local purchasing power. The rich mainly northern hemisphere countries (high income OECD) have an HDI average of 0.946 and the least developed countries average out at 0.464.

* Data not available            Data sources: PENHA, UNDP 2006

The Resource Based Conflict (RBC) Regional Network seeks to support Peace Building and Conflict Prevention

The history of the network dates back to 1998 when Oxfam Novib and its counterparts from Ethiopia, Sudan and Somalia acknowledged that resource based conflicts were a leading threat to prospects of poverty alleviation and sustainable peace in the HEA. The idea was to generate knowledge within the counterparts of the region and if possible seek ways of dealing with the effects of conflict, which was greatly impacting on the daily programs of the counterparts. At inception, this coalition was a loose network where key participants would exchange knowledge and experiences through convening annual RBC Conferences. These conferences have been held since 2000 in Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Somaliland with the most recent one being in Uganda in 2008. Continued funding and support from Oxfam-Novib, has facilitated the transition of this network from a loose coalition of Oxfam-Novib counterparts from Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia to a sturdy regional network of 80 CSOs. It has expanded to include organisations from Kenya and Uganda and other non-Oxfam-Novib counterparts. Each country has established a national RBC network of CSOs, with activities coordinated by a national focal point (NFP).

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