Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ADDISABABA2073
2006-07-26 14:14:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Addis Ababa
Cable title:  

ETHIOPIAN PASTORALISTS GATHERING DISCUSS INTERNAL AND CROSS-BORDER CONFLICTS

Tags:  ETRD EFIN EINV EAID PGOV PREF ET EAGR OPIC 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO1848
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHDS #2073/01 2071414
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 261414Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1809
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA PRIORITY
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ADDIS ABABA 002073 

SIPDIS


SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR AF/E
DEPARTMENT PASS USAID FOR AFR
TO

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD EFIN EINV EAID OPICEAGR EAID PGOV PREF ET
SUBJECT: ETHIOPIAN PASTORALISTS GATHERING DISCUSS INTERNAL
AND CROSS-BORDER CONFLICTS

REF: ADDIS ABABA 1939 (NOTAL)
ADDIS ABABA 1893 (NOTAL)

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ADDIS ABABA 002073

SIPDIS


SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR AF/E
DEPARTMENT PASS USAID FOR AFR
TO

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD EFIN EINV EAID OPICEAGR EAID PGOV PREF ET
SUBJECT: ETHIOPIAN PASTORALISTS GATHERING DISCUSS INTERNAL
AND CROSS-BORDER CONFLICTS

REF: ADDIS ABABA 1939 (NOTAL)
ADDIS ABABA 1893 (NOTAL)


1. (U) SUMMARY: From July 16-18, the UN's Office of the
Coordinator for Humanitarian Activities (UN OCHA) convened
approximately 300 pastoralists from about 15 West and East
African countries, as part of UN OCHA's DFID-funded
Pastoralist Communications Initiative. The meeting provided
a platform for significant discussions on the margins
between the leadership of the Borena and Gujji Oromos, and
resulted in a separate agreement between opposing Nuer
communities to continue talks on resolving conflict in
Ethiopia's Gambella Region. In addition to conflict
mitigation, the pastoralist gathering providedas well as
opportunities for cross fertilization of ideas on economic
development, governance and policy issues, and provision of
services such as education. In addition to conflict
resolution, livestock marketing and trade also were key
topics of discussion. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) This was the second pastoralist gathering organized
by UN OCHA's Pastoralist Communications Initiative.the
Pastoralist Communications Initiative, part of UN OCHA in
Ethiopia funded by DFID. The previous Global Pastoralist
Gatheringone in January 2005 drewwas a Global Pastoralist
Gathering with 200 participants from 23 countries
represented by over 200 participants, and metheld in the
Hamer Tribal area of Turmi, Southern in Ethiopia's Southern
Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region. The July 16-
18is gathering was held at a tented camp near Yabello in the
Borena Oromo area, and also includedfocused on West and East
Africa, with over 300 participants from about 15 African
countries, pastoralist experts, NGOs, donors, and observers
from Latin America, the Middle EastArab countries, and Iran,
and pastoralist experts, NGO's and donors. It was held at a
tented camp near Yabello in the Borena Oromo area.


3. (U) The timing of the gathering was very relevant, as
USAID is embarking on a regional program focusing on
pastoralists, with a component on livestock trade. In
addition, after the meeting was planned, a major conflict
erupted between the Borena people and the neighboring Gujji
Oromos, costing an estimated 100 or more lives, which is
stillremains unresolved. The meeting provided a platform
for major side discussions between the leadership of the
Borena and Gujji Oromos, as well as opportunities for other
conflict mitigation, and cross fertilization of ideas on
economic development, provision of services such as
education, and governance and policy issues.


4. (U) The meeting was fully supported by the Ethiopian
government, which facilitated the entry of participants from
many countries, and participated with others in the last
days of the meeting to hear the input from pastoralists put
forward their ideas. Federal gGovernment representatives
included officials from the Ministry Ministries of Foreign
Affairs, Federal Affairs, and Agriculture, while regional
officials included representatives from and the
OromoOromiya, Somali, and Southern Nations, Nationalities,
and Peoples' Nation (SNNPR) attendedRegions.

Among others, livestock marketing trade and conflict were of
most interest.


--------------
Livestock Marketing and Trade
--------------


5. (U) While plenary discussions Discussions were held at
the main meetingsaddressed on livelihoods and livestock in
general, but at USAID'sthe request of USAID a side meeting
was held to discuss barriers to affecting livestock trade
through the northern corridor ports of Bosaso (Puntland,
Somalia),Berbera (Somaliland, Somalia) and Djibouti. This
was a unique opportunity to speak collectively to
representatives of these areas together, and to provide
input for feed into the planningning process for the
livestock marketing underpart of the Regional Enhanced
Livelihoods for Pastoralist Areas (RELPA) project which will
be starting soon.


6. (U) Approximately 40 rRepresentatives of the Somali-
speaking areas of Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia (Somaliland
and, Puntland),and Kenya attended the a two-and-half-hour-

ADDIS ABAB 00002073 002 OF 003


long campfire meeting, including three Ministers of
Livestock and MP's from Ethiopia and Kenya. About 40
persons gathered around a campfire for a 2 hour
discussion. All the pParticipants said this was the first
time that they had attended a meeting of people from all
these Somali- Sspeaking areas since the Somalia's
dissolutionbreakup of Somalia more than 15 years ago.



7. (SBU) In summary, aAll agreed that the Rift Valley Fever
ban on live animal imports from the Horn of Africa to Saudi
Arabia had the biggest impact on reducing prices and volume
of trade from the ports. All agreed thatWhile
acknowledging the need for better sanitary or phyto-sanitary
control and certification must be built, some say although
many consider that the continuation of the ban is
political: (they say a Saudi prince reportedly handles the
import of live animals from Australia and is preventing the
lifting of the Rift Valley Fever ban on the Horn of Africa).
They all asked for U.S. help in removing the ban and in
building sanitary and phyto phyto-sanitary capacity. Many
thought Saudi Arabia wanted to re-establish imports of sheep
and goats from the Horn, and that some certification effort
would provide the necessary justification for imports to
resume.



8. (U) USAID's Regional Livestock Advisor for USAID from
Nairobi asked the group about their level of action and
commitment on improving the livestock trade . He asked what
they had been doing to modernize and seek other means to
improve livestock trade, and how serious would they be
intheir commitment to instituting tough veterinary controls
to prevent disease transmission.

The Somalis were challenged by this and asked for help in
convening a planning session amongmeeting of the different
stakeholders from Djibouti, Somalia (Somaliland and,
Puntland) and Ethiopia to be held to have a serious and
practical planning session specifically onaddress livestock
trade issues.

In follow up discussions with vVarious officials, including
particular a very activePuntland Minister of Livestock from
Puntland, Said Jama Ali, strongly advocatedthe idea of a
follow up meeting was pushed hard. The group insisted that
it would be best if USAID supported supporting such a follow-
upthis meeting and, though its advocacy, continued the
momentum.


9. (U)

There was also a feeling that Saudi Arabia wanted to re-
establish imports of sheep and goats from the Horn, and that
some certification effort would provide the necessary
excuse.

Atfter the gathering finished, a follow upsubsequent meeting
was held atwith USAID in Addis Ababa, with Kenya'sthe
Director of Livestock Production for the Government of
Kenya, Mr. Julius Kiptarus, who attended the Pastoralist
gathering,. He encouraged USAID to assist with helping toin
remove removing the barriers to formal cross- border trade,
and to help improveing the veterinary delivery and
certification services in Ethiopia.

--------------
Conflict
--------------


10. (U) The Gujji-Borena Oromo conflict was omnipresent at
the pastoralist gathering due to its proximity to the
gatheringsince it took place near where the conflict had
taken place. There were pProlonged and in-depth discussions
between Gujji and Borena leaders on the margins`on the side'
at the gathering includeding the traditional heads from both
groups, the Abba Gaddas, who discussed the causes of the
conflict and from both groupscommitted themselves to
stopping the violence.. The `'Gathering'' organizers
reported that they felt good progress, citing had been
made, reporting diminishing reports of violent incidents and
decreasing IDP estimates of IDPs from the conflict. The
hope is that traditional conflict management structures can
be used to resolve the conflict and deal with the underlying
causes. Both the Gujji and Borena leadership agreed that

ADDIS ABAB 00002073 003 OF 003


they felt the "government", even though this was not clearly
defined, was the problem, and that they should re-establish
their traditional peaceful relations themselves.


11. (SBU) The Abba Gaddas met and committed themselves to
stopping the violence and, in this forum, there was deeper
discussion on the causes and resolution of the conflict.

While the overall assessment is that violence is decreasing,
a number of remaining concerns were expressed. These
included thesome expressed concern that both Abba Gaddas
were giving lip service to peace while preparing for another
round of fighting. The Gujji Abba Gadda, - considered to
be closer to the government, has extended his leadership
from the normal eight years by to another two years (some
say three),therefore preventing the accession of the leader
of the next age group coming to power for his traditional
eight- year terms. The reason given by the Abba Gadda is
that he will deliver a new zone to the Gujji: - Western
Gujji next to the Southern Nations, Nationalities and
People's' Region, to be carved out of the existing Borena
Zone. The conflict was sparked when the government awarded
Gujji Zone a section of Borena Zone in late May. The
Borena Abba Gadda is said to be `"angry as a lion' lion" and
still out for revenge for the killings which have taken
place so far.


12. (SBU) One possible indicator of the fear of further
conflict is the movement of Borena Oromos and their Gabbara
allies further into Kenya, pushed by the conflict and by
fears of further attacks. The Ethiopian Gabbara were said
to bereportedly making arrangements at the Pastoralist
gathering with their fellow Gabbara from Kenya to move into
Kenya in large numbers to avoid the conflict. They are said
to feel that the Borena will lose the upcoming round of
conflict with the Gujji, because the Gujji have government
support.

An impact of the mMovement of the Borena and Gabbara into
Kenya over the past few weeks has causedis increased
conflict with tribes south of them in Kenya. : at USAID,
Kenya'sThe Director of Livestock for Kenya told the USAID
meeting that there wasreported a big increased in fighting
between Borena and neighboring people to the south, which
wouldand it would get worsen as the Borena were pushed down
from the north for `"political' political" reasons.


13. (U) A great success was bringing together opposing sides
to discuss The hope is that traditional conflict management
structures can be used to resolve the conflict and deal with
the underlying causes. Both the Gujji and Borena leadership
agreed in the discussions that they felt the `government',
even though this was not clearly defined, was the problem
and they should re-establish their traditional peaceful
relations themselves.

There was also discussion on conflict in the eastern
Gambella conflictRegion, between the Nuer community living
in Gambella and the Nuer community in Sudan (whose
traditional chief attended). This was considered a great
success because the two sides have had serious conflict and
have not been talking to each other. Positive discussions
were held and there wasconcluded with agreement to
continuethat the discussions would continue once the groups
had returned home. This is a major factor in determining
whether the Nuer refugees in Gambella can return to Sudan.


14. (U) There was also a great deal of undirected talk about
the situation in Somalia situation, includingwith the fear
that a serious civil war may break outerupt. There was
considerable debate about how `"fundamentalist'
fundamentalist" the Islamic Courts are, how much they
reflect clan structures, and how much support they or the
Transitional Federal Ggovernment enjoyed.