`M is m a n aAgement of resources is at the heart of the crisis'
Patrick Devine, executive chairman and co-founder, Shalom Center for Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation, Kenya, has researched the Turkana tribe and its conflicts with other tribes. In an interview with Down To Earth, Devine blames natural resource mismanagement for the conflicts engulfing the Turkana region
What are the reasons behind the conflicts between the Turkana and the Dassanach tribes on the Kenya-Ethiopia border? There are five specific causes. First is the issue of environmental resource, which has become a problem, not due to scarcity but mismanagement. Second is the issue of cultural variations between the two groups. The third is the issue of contested territory. Fourth is the lack of basic government institutions— such as courts, hospitals and schools—in both communities. Fifth is the proliferation of arms in both communities. A family in the region has on an average two AK-47 rifles.
How are cultural differences triggering the conflicts?
Cultural differences have a direct impact on the conflict. The Dassanach tribe believes that a boy has to show bravery and grit before he is considered a man. For this, the boy has to attack an enemy—usually the Turkana tribe—and steal his cattle. This culture of violence needs to be transformed. Instead, the growing population, along with mismanagement of resources, has led to greater violence in the area.
What steps have the governments of the two countries taken to bring peace in the region? The countries are continually introducing programmes to bring peace. But they do not have sufficient institutional mechanism
to control the conflict.
I saw people carry guns openly, even in front of the Army. It looks as if there is no presence of the state institutions in the area? You cannot say the governments are not present. There needs to be a greater institutional presence in the area.
What are the geopolitical reasons contributing to the conflict in the region?
The conflict between Turkana and Dassanach tribes is part of a wider geopolitical crisis in the area. Besides Dassanach, the Turkana tribe is in conflict with four other tribes: Topas from south Sudan, Dodoth from Uganda, Phokat and Samburu from other counties of Kenya. At the heart of the conflicts is the disputed Ilemi Triangle which is spread across South Sudan, Kenya and Ethiopia. Governments in East Africa have recently set up the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development to manage conflict and bring peace in the region.
What is your organisation doing in the area? We are currently engaged with 11 tribes in northern Kenya where we first identify the key underlying factors for their conflicts. Then we engage influential chiefs, religious leaders, youth leaders, women leaders in each community and train them to manage conflicts. We are also promoting inter-ethnic education, along with rehabilitation and reconstruction.