Pastoralists in the Horn of Africa

Pastoralists in the Horn of Africa Report of a Workshop on Social and Economic Marginalization 8–10 December 1998, Nairobi, Kenya WORKSHOP REPORT Introduction astoralists in the Horn of Africa have become among the The aim of the workshop was to address the issues affecting most marginalized and disadvantaged of minority groups. pastoralists, identify the areas in which NGOs and other P This is due to their wide dispersal, climatic and agencies duplicate work, identify ways in which academics, ecological conditions, state neglect, development plans that NGO and other agency representatives, and government have excluded them, seizure of their land, land tenure laws, officials can be brought together to back a unified strategy to national borders that restrict their freedom of movement, address the problems faced by pastoralists in the Horn of internal strife and national conflicts. Africa. The corollary has been the neglect of gender issues in the Such a unified strategy, to which MRG and KPF are pastoralist communities, where custom and religious teachings committed, is to: defining women’s role have been overtaken by rapid modern development. G lobby for the appointment of a government representative Minority Rights Group International (MRG) in cooperation conversant with local pastoral culture and its problems in with the Kenya Pastoralists’ Forum (KPF) organized a joint each region; workshop held in Nairobi, Kenya from 8 to 10 December 1998. G bring together pastoralist community representatives, The workshop was attended by more than 50 representatives experts, academics and researchers, non-governmental and of pastoralist communities, academics, parliamentarians, intergovernmental personnel, and create public awareness of governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental pastoralists and their marginalization; personnel, and other interested parties coming mainly from G encourage cooperation between pastoralist communities; Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Somaliland, Sudan, G promote lobby groups to advocate, advance and promote the Tanzania and Uganda. Nine papers were presented covering rights of pastoralists; themes from the problem of land tenure and land rights, to G support and encourage the formation of strong grassroots gender perspectives and inequality, good governance, the pastoralist organizations to advocate and lobby governments, causes and effects of pastoralist marginalization, the role of the UN, NGOs and other agencies through networking. traditional institutions in pastoral societies, pastoralism and human rights, and restrictions on pastoralists’ freedom of Honourable Mohammed Affey, MP, Assistant Minister for movement. Cooperative Development in Kenya, opened the workshop, Minority Rights Group International Nasser noting that three major problems facing pastoralists in Kenya Horn of Africa SAUDI can only be solved through regional cooperation, namely: R e N d S ARABIA G O insecurity in northern Kenya; e a G drought, and the unpredictable movement of peoples in Nile response to drought; Khartoum ERITREA D San'a G refugee influxes fleeing from internal strife and wars; Asmara SUDAN YEMEN n B de l A u f e o This Report is a summary of the main issues raised at the e l f i ul L. Tana G N N DJIBOUTI i e l e Djibouti workshop and recommendations made at its conclusion. t i h W ETHIOPIA Addis Ababa Causes and consequences of A W I CENTRAL h i t AFRICAN e L N i l pastoralist marginalization REPUBLIC e A M O John Markakis, Institute of Social Studies, The Hague Ubangi L. Turkana S Co ng o L. Albert Mogadishu he bulk of the land in the Horn of Africa, the pastoralist UGANDA KENYA habitat, lies in the semi-arid and arid zone, home to the Kampala L. Victoria L. Edward largest aggregation of traditional livestock producers in DEMOCRATIC L. Kivu RWANDA Nairobi T Kigali the world, estimated at 15 million people. REPUBLIC INDIAN OCEAN BURUNDI While there is some non-pastoralist production, the Bujumbura pastoralist contribution is more important economically, OF CONGO providing significant employment and income opportunities Lake TANZANIA Tanganyika S E seldom shown in official statistics. Dodoma Traditional livestock production is becoming non-viable through the gradual erosion of access to land and water, as they are turned over to cultivation. This loss has been facilitated by the unwillingness of states to acknowledge and respect pastoralists’ rights to land. M Lake Loss of mobility of people and animals has disrupted the Lilongwe Nyasa COMOROS process of adjustment that maintains the balance between people, land and livestock. Pastoralist society has been adversely as one of the dominated ethnic groups, and as pastoralists. The affected by state borders dividing ethnic groups, separating marginalization they face as pastoralists is more severe than the people from their kin, traditional leaders, places of worship, oppression faced by other dominated ethnic groups. markets, pastures and watering places. Traditionally, in pastoralist society, land ‘belongs’ to a group Colonial and postcolonial arrangements violated the social or family that is linked by descent or cultural affiliation. Land is and political integrity of pastoralist society, and material not owned but is held in trust for future generations. hardship intensified competition for resources, further As a result of the political marginalization of pastoralists, undermining social cohesion and traditional authority. The unfavourable land tenure reforms and the alienation of result was conflict both within the pastoralist society and with pastoralists from their lands, traditional mechanisms and state authority. Pastoralists thus became known as ‘unruly’ and customary methods of negotiation, arbitration and adjudication ‘rebellious’. over land issues are breaking down. State policy throughout the region aims to develop livestock Pastoralists do not respect the state, which is seen as production, not to improve the life of pastoralists. It is based on repressive rather than democratic, coercive rather than the desire to turn their land over to commercial cultivation persuasive, as tax collector and embezzler rather than assisting through irrigation, or to meat production through ranching development, nor do they respect state boundaries. schemes, leaving pastoralists, whose terrain has remained state East African states discuss land issues in terms of agrarian domain and can be alienated at whim, as the only sector without societies and peasants, since cultivation is the only rural any rights of land tenure. All attempts to secure ownership economic activity recognized as productive and thus rights for the pastoralists have failed. contributing to the national economy and capital accumulation. However, the issue of land is equally pivotal to pastoralists for whom pastoralist land tenure and land use is the most Good governance, pastoralism sustainable. African states do not consider pastoralism a viable way of life. and gender Pastoralists are not considered when it comes to formulating macroeconomic policies, or discussing state–society Melakou Tegegne, Panos, East Africa Office relationships, questions of democracy and the role of state in development – i.e. good governance. The role of civil society he political marginalization of pastoralist communities (i.e. representative institutions independent of the state) in was preceded by forcible eviction from their land and/or good governance has been neglected. T restriction of their movements. Currently, the trend The African states’ neglect of the indispensable role of civil towards globalization of the market, with pastoral lands society in political, social and economic development, as well as increasingly being commercialized and/or turned into national of gender issues, has cost them dear in terms of the resulting parks, has resulted in environmental and ecological disaster. poverty and conflict. Poverty has increased, with women in particular being severely The state must assume the role of regulator rather than affected. Pastoralists are faced with a double marginalization – dictator, and recognize the rightful role of civil society. In good 2 MRG WORKSHOP REPORT governance, the relationship between state and society is This benefited women but increased their workload, and men dynamic, involving the state in encouraging civil and community felt threatened and marginalized. institutions to cooperate with state organs in development Somalis adhere to Islamic law when it comes to marriage, undertakings. Popular participation does not just mean taking inheritance and the family. Camels, land and cattle cannot be part in elections, but includes social organization within civil inherited by women. In marriage, the girl’s consent is crucial, society independent of the state, recognizing the separate role since without it the marriage is void, yet fathers or brothers will of civil society in development and the political process, and offer girls to anyone they choose without seeking their consent encouraging a rapport between state and civil society through With education for girls, women increasingly join the work transparency and dialogue. force, which in urban areas has reversed their dependence on The marginalization of pastoralists as communities has men. Many well-off women participate in family decision- overshadowed the degraded position of pastoralist women. In making. Acceptance of such participation by society is tilting recent years the social awakening of the women’s

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