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Inter-Clan Conflict in Mandera District

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Inter-Clan Conflict in Mandera District UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI FACULTY OF ARTS DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY RESEARCH PROJECT NTER-CLAN CONFLICT IN MANDERA DISTRICT: A CASE OF THE GARRE AND MURULLE, 2004-2009. BY HUSSEIN MOHAMED1 ALIO C50/73586/2009 PROJECT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE 3UIREMENT FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN ARMED NFLICT AND PEACE STUDIES, DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI. Univereity ol NAIROBI Ubraiy NOVEMBER 2012 DECLARATION AND RECOMMENDATION Declaration This project is my original work and has not been presented for examination in any other university. Hussein Mohamed Alio Signature: Xl [sJovlZo/1- 1 he project has been submitted for examination with our approval as the University supervisors. Prof. Godfrey Muriuki //• i i . Dr. Herbert Misigo Amatsimbi Signature: Date: ' / / ' ii DEDICATION This Project is dedicated to the survivors of recurrent inter-clan conflicts between Garre and Murulle clans in Mandera District. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am thankful to my supervisors Prof. Godfrey Muriuki and Dr. Herbert Misigo Amatsimbi whose encouragement, guidance and support enabled me to develop an understanding of the subject. 1 would like to appreciate Dr. Gona and Dr. Mary Mwiandi for their support during the initial stages of choosing and developing my research topic and research proposal. My research work was significantly developed and strengthened because of their support. I would like to extend my gratitude to the people of Mandera and the Provincial Administration for their support during data collection. 1 am grateful to elders from the Garre and the Murulle clans for providing me with first hand information and data on specific Garre-Murulle clashes. I would also like to express my gratitude to my friends, namely, Mr. Abdi Wahab Abdi and Leyla Ali and my family for their overwhelming support, love and generosity during my studies for the Masters Degree at the University of Nairobi. God Almighty bless them abundantly. iv ABSTRACT Scholars on violence in Mandera who include Lewis have focused on Somali irredentism and closeness to the porous Kenya-Somalia border as the main cause o f inter-clan conflict. 1 This study set to explore other factors that may underlay conflict in Mandera. The study covered the period between 2004 and 2009. For better understanding of the conflict, the study utilized the Homer-Dixon’s theoretical framework, which analyses why violent conflicts occur. The proponents of this theory argue that conflicts can be induced by scarcity of any need against the competing demands. These are divided into scarcity associated with resource degradation and scarcity induced by population growth. The researcher wanted to understand whether resource scarcity played any role in the conflict. The researcher was interested in establishing weather creating of administrative boundaries of the Northern Frontier by the colonialists underlay recurrent conflict among the two clans. This is a descriptive and cross-sectional study. Various events on Murulle and the Garre inter-clan conflict have been described. Areas around the northern part of the Kenya-Somali boarder have similar climatic conditions of arid and semi arid lands. These areas are dominated by ethnics groups that have similar cultural practices and customary institutions. These groups are predominantly nomads and often migrate in search of pasture and water for their livestock. The migration often resulted in conflict as the groups fight for diminishing resources. The migrations happen within ethnic group or clan territory as well as across other clan territories including across the northern Kenya /southern Ethiopia border lines /areas and Somali. Access to resources during migration among the clans may be gained through negotiation and reciprocal relationships with the host community or through conflicts. Conflicts result in displacement of the defeated clan. An example is the conflict between the Garre and the Murulle clans of the larger Somali. Recurrent conflict among the Murulle and the Garre has brought insecurity in the entire Mandera triangle. While consensus exists that the recurrent conflicts have adverse effects on pastoralists and other rural communities, this study deemed it essential to explore detailed information on the conflict. The continued hostility among these two clans 1 Lewis, A Pasloral Democracy, London: James Currey, 1961 and also see, Mburu, N, Bandits on the Border. The Last Frontier in the Search o f Somali Unity, Trenton, NJ, Red Sea Press, 2005. V formed the basis for this study whose main objective was to explore factors responsible for clan conflicts in Mandera district. The study revealed that, over the decades, the clans of Murulle and Garre have migrated onto each other’s territory as well as other clan’s territories resulting in inter-clan conflicts and displacement. Conflicts were common during dry spells or drought. As drought took effect, resources of pasture and water dwindled and set in motion competition for these much needed resources. Often, the result was conflict. Apart from drought the changing climatic patterns and the ecological stress being experienced around the globe, a steady population increase among the pastoralists has been attributed to the diminishing pasture lands and water catchments points. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Declaration............................................................................................................................................. .. Dedication............................................................................................................................................... j j Acknowledgements................................................................................................................................iv Abstract................................................................................................................................................... .. Table of Contents.................................................................................................................................. vii Map o f Mandera District showing Areas of Clans Conflict...............................................................x Operation Definition of Terms.............................................................................................................xii Abbreviations.......................................................................................................................................xiii CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................................1 1.2 Statement of the Problem................................................................................................................ 2 1.3 Objectives of the Study....................................................................................................................3 1.3.1 General Objective.....................................................................................................................3 1.3.2 Specific Objectives...................................................................................................................4 1.4 Justification of the Study................................................................................................................ 4 1.5 Scope and Limitations.....................................................................................................................4 1.6 Literature Review............................................................................................................................ 5 1.7 Theoretical Framework....................................................................................................................9 1.8 Hypotheses...................................................................................................................................... 10 1.9 Methodology................................................................................................................................... 10 1.10 Research Design...........................................................................................................................11 CHAPTER TWO HISTORY OF THE GARRE AND MURULLE CLANS............................................................... 13 2.1 Introduction..................................................................................................................................... 13 2.2 The Somali People..........................................................................................................................13 2.3 The Garre........................................................................................................................................ 15 2.2.1 Garre’s Social Structure......................................................................................................... 17 2.2.2 Garre Belief System................................................................................................................18 2.4 The Murulle Clan............................................................................................................................18 2.5 The Garre and Murulle Livelihood.............................................................................................. 20 VII 2.5.1 Economic Activities............................................................................................................... 20 2.5.2 Traditional
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