Effects of international boundary making on pastoralists transboundary environmental resource use in the Ethiopia–Kenya borderland

Abstract

The international boundary along the Ethiopia–Kenyan border does not consider the livelihood and customary practices of local people. Ethiopia and Kenya both have ethnic groups living in similar ecosystems, sharing similar livelihood systems, trans-clan and transboundary trade networks, and trans-boundary migratory patterns. Unlike pre-colonial times when communities freely moved with their herds, the creation of the colonial boundary divided local people and restricted their mobility. This study examined the effects of the international boundary on cross-border environmental resource use along the Ethiopia–Kenya border. We used a qualitative approach to conduct this study. Key informant interviews, in-depth interviews and focus-group discussions were employed to collect data. The findings suggest that the boundaries between Ethiopia–Kenya constrain pastoral mobility beyond borders, access to cross-border environmental resource use, and livelihoods. Interestingly, the ethnic kinship relationship and indigenous institutions have facilitated the Moyale pastoralists’ mobility to achieve access to environmental resource use, resource use-related conflict management and to support pastoral livelihoods. As a way forward, this study determined that cooperative relations among neighbouring states, territorial communities and all concerned stakeholders must be promoted and strengthened, as well as investment made in pastoral livelihoods, so as to allow mobility of pastoral communities across the borders of member states. In the case of Ethiopia and Kenya, this implies putting into action the Niamey Convention (2014) on African Union cross-border cooperation and the transhumane protocol of Africa Union–Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD 2021) to enhance free and safe pastoral mobility with livestock across the border. All stakeholders in transboundary situations should strive to engage in joint rangeland management and cooperate to deter rangeland degradation.