An Overiew of the Borderlands of the Horn of Africa

Public Disclosure Authorized From Isolation to Integration An Overiew of the Borderlands Public Disclosure Authorized of the Horn of Africa Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized From Isolation to Integration An Overiew of the Borderlands of the Horn of Africa © 2020 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433 202-473-1000 | www.worldbank.org Some rights reserved. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this work do not necessarily reflect the views of The World Bank, its Board of Executive Directors, or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denomina- tions, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. 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Cover photo: Photo: Flore de Preneuf | World Bank ii Contents Acknowledgments . iv Abbreviations and Acronyms . v Overview . 1 Developing a Borderlands Approach ........................................................................3 Drivers of Fragility and Sources of Resilience in the Borderlands ..............................................6 Some Key Themes ........................................................................................ 13 Operational Implications ..................................................................................19 Institutional and Policy Context for Regional Action .........................................................20 Recommendations for Action .............................................................................. 21 References ...............................................................................................24 Box O.1 Trade, Pastoralism, and Mobility in the Horn of Africa: The Karamoja Cluster .................................. 15 Maps O.1 IGAD Clusters ..............................................................................................5 0.2 Food Insecurity in the Horn of Africa.........................................................................8 Tables O.1 Challenges and Opportunities in the Horn of Africa.......................................................... 12 O.2 Supporting Development and Stability in the Borderlands ...................................................22 iii Acknowledgments This work was undertaken by a World Bank team Goodhand, Professor in Conflict and Development led by Varalakshmi Vemuru, and comprising Studies, Department of Development Studies , Matthew Stephens, Aditya Sarkar, Andrew Roberts School of Oriental and African Studies, University and Anton Baaré (formerly with the World Bank). of London. The World Bank editorial team made contributions to these papers with respect to The accompanying papers were written by updating data where relevant. Laura Johnson was Dr. Laura Hammond, School of Oriental and African responsible for copy editing and design. Studies University of London; Dr. Dereje Feyissa Dori, International Law and Policy Institute; The team appreciates comments and suggestions Patta Scott-Villiers, Institute of Development provided by Asbjorn Haland Wee, Helene Carlsson- Studies, University of Sussex; Kristin Bushby, Rex, and Paul Brenton from the World Bank. For Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts overall guidance and support, we are grateful to University, Graduate Student and Elizabeth Deborah L. Wetzel, Robin Mearns, Deo Ndikumana, Stites, Ph.D., Research Director, Feinstein Inter- and Vijay Pillai. national Center, Tufts University; and Jonathan iv Abbreviations and Acronyms COMESA Common Market for East and LAPSSET Lamu Port-Southern Sudan-Ethiopia Southern Africa Transport EU European Union SDG Sustainable Development Goal IGAD Intergovernmental Authority on UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner Development for Refugees v Overview The World Bank Group’s Horn of Africa Regional Initiative promotes resilience and economic opportunity in one of the world’s most challenging regions for security and development. Within the region, extreme poverty, vulnerability, fragility, and food insecurity are disproportionately concentrated in the arid and remote border regions. 1 2 From Isolation to Integration: An Overview of the Borderlands of the Horn of Africa Development policy makers and social scientists political marginalization; entrenched poverty; con- often suffer from “borderland blindness,” treating flict and violence; forced displacement; and envi- the territorially bounded nation-state as both the ronmental degradation, spilling across national central unit of analysis and as the primary site of boundaries. The reach of the state is weak, and development intervention. Underpinning such livelihoods rely on a combination of informal, a state-centric approach to policy making are illicit, and criminal strategies. In Goodhand’s three key assumptions: (1) that the state wields words (2014): “these regions seem immune to the sovereignty over its entire territory; (2) that the development successes celebrated at national and domestic and international spheres can be clearly international levels.” delineated; and (3) that group identity is cotermi- nous with the geographical boundaries of a state But despite its challenges, there are areas in (see Goodhand 2014: 13). In the Horn of Africa,1 the borderlands with real economic potential. with its long history of colonial rule, separatism, For example, the region’s international borders territorial conflicts within and among states, fluid have long allowed communities to benefit from identities, mobility, and multiple overlapping price differentials through licit and illicit trade hybrid governance institutions, each of these (Scott-Villiers 2015). Pastoralism and trade, the assumptions is demonstrably false. dominant livelihoods in the Horn of Africa, require the easy movement of people and goods within A “borderlands” perspective challenges policy and across borders—and continue to heavily rely makers to reconsider the nature of conflict, devel- on cross-country clan and ethnic affiliations. Local opment, and state building. By foregrounding the institutions therefore still play a key role in regulat- particularities of border regions and the commu- ing and facilitating economic activity and managing nities that live in them, this perspective reinforces conflict, especially as the formal institutions are the need to take context and history seriously and often weak or absent. Even in areas at the periphery to understand power as it actually exists on the of state control, the borderlands remain highly con- ground. It does not yield simple policy prescrip- nected to circuits of global capital and exchange. tions, but it does offer an analytical lens that com- plements others, such as the need to explicitly Increasing stability and improving the welfare of consider the gendered nature of—and responses the people in the borderlands requires a fresh to—each of these phenomena, as well as the need approach unconstrained by international borders. to foreground environmental concerns. In sum, Actions by individual countries to support devel- it can help policy makers craft better-targeted opment in their respective borderland regions policies. could help. But given the importance of transna- tional mobility to local livelihood patterns and The borderlands of the Horn of Africa have long the prevalence of external shocks that straddle been synonymous with economic, social, and international boundaries, including conflicts and natural disasters, development cannot take hold 1. The countries in the Horn of Africa are Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethio- in the absence of a spatial approach. Regional pia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda. Overview 3 collaboration is essential to the joint management To unpack these observations and examine the of access to grazing lands and water, trade, and analytical and policy implications of a borderlands security. Cooperation is also needed to harmonize perspective for the World Bank and other national policies on mobility and economic integration. and international policy makers, the World Bank Regional institutions and programs are beginning commissioned five background papers, which to show what is possible when countries work are being published along with this overview. The together, but much remains to be done. remainder of this overview introduces each of the background papers; summarizes some of the Developing a drivers of fragility and sources of resilience in the Borderlands Approach region; discusses key themes that run across the papers, namely, livelihoods, mobility, and gender; The World Bank first discussed the idea of the sets out recommendations for action; and con- borderlands

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