Investigating the Potential of Peace Committees in Ethiopia A Needs Assessment in IGAD CEWARN’s Karamoja and Somali Clusters 2013 A Needs Assessment in IGAD CEWARN’s Karamoja and Somali Clusters Luke Glowacki and Katja Gönc With reporting by Firehiwot Sintayehu and Felegebirhan Belesti . ........................................................................................................................................................ .. .. Committees in Ethiopia .... .. Potential of Peace . I nvestigating the .... ... .. .. ... .. .. .. ... .. ..... .. .. ........ ....... ....... .. ... .. ... .. .. ..... .... .. .... ... ... ... .. .. .. .. ............................................................................................................................... .. .. ... .. .... .. .. .. The Ethiopian Conflict Early Warning and Early Response Unit . (CEWERU) in collaboration with the GIZ Civil Service Program . .. conceived and commissioned the assessment study. The .. research design was developed by Luke Glowacki, Harvard . .. University, and Katja Gönc, International Peace Adviser at GIZ . Civil Peace Service in Ethiopia. Both LG and KG contributed . research, reporting, analysis, and manuscript preparation. .. .. Firehiwot Sintayehu and Felegebirhan Belesti contributed . .. research and reporting from the Somali cluster. .. .... The field data collection process was coordinated and assisted by CEWERU of Ethiopia through the InterAfrica Group, the NRI . .. for Ethiopia. .. ..... .... ....... .. ..... .. .. ... .. ... ... .... ..... .... ....... ... .. ....... ....... ........ ... .. .... ... .. .... .. ..... .. ...... .. .. .. Disclaimer The views expressed in this report do not all coincide with the views of the Ethiopian CEWERU ( Conflict Early Warning and Response Unit). "This research paper was commissioned on behalf of the Ethiopia CEWERU (Conflict Early Warning and Response Unit). Funding was provided by CEWARN (Conflict Early Warning and Response Mechanism) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, the CPS (Civil Peace Service/Ziviler Friedensdienst) programme and HCD (Human Capacity Development). This publication is financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development." . ........................................................................................................................................................ C Local Peace Committees .. ontent in an International and Executive Summary .. Landscape for Local Findings and Analysis Abbreviations Domestic Context Peace Committees .... Page 3 Introduction Recommendations .. Page 4 . The Domestic Page 20 Page 8 . Page 25 Page 34 Page 72 .... Page 78 References Page 85 ... Appendix .. .. .... .... .. ... .. .. ....... .. ........ ....... ....... .. ... .. ... .. ... ..... .... .. .... ... ...... .. .. .. .. .. ... .... .. ... .. ... .. .. .................................................................... .. .... ... .. ............ ... ...... .... .................. ..... .. Investigating the Potential of Peace Committees .......... .... ....... .. ............... .... Abbreviations . .... ....... ...... Atowoykesi Ekisil Pastoralist Development Association . AEPDA ...... ... ...................... ................................ CARE Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere CEWARN Conflict Early Warning and Early Response .............. CEWERU Conflict Early Warning Response Units ......... ............................................................................................................. CPS Civil Peace Service ......... ........... .. .. CSA Central Statistical Agency . ... .. .. ................... CSO Civil Society Organization .. .. .... EPaRDA Ethiopian Pastoralists Research and Development Association ... ....... .. EWER Early Warning Early Response . ..... .. .. .................................................... Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit . ..... GIZ . ..... InterAfrica Group ... IAG . .. .. .. .. .. .... .. .. .... Intergovernmental Authority on Development .. IGAD .. ... .. .. .... ... .... .. Local Peace Committee . LPC . .. .... ..... .. ... .. .. MoFA Ministry of Federal Affairs . .. .. .................................................................. .. .. Oromo Liberation Front . OLF .. .. .. ...... OPA Oromia Pastoralist Association . .......... ..... ... ... Southern National, Nationalities and Peoples Regional State .. SNNPR . .. .. ... .. .. ....................... ..... ..... ...... .. ..... ......... .. .. .. .. .... .. ...... .. .. ....... ... .. ...... .................. .. ... ..... .... ...................... .... .. .... .. .. .. ... ..... ......... ... ........................ .. .. ........... .. .. ...... ........................ .... .. ... ... .. ..... .. .. .................................................... P . age .... ........ 3 .. .. .... .. .. .... ... .. .. .. .... .. .... .... .. ... .. .. ...... Executive Summary 1 . .. ... .... .. ..... .. ... ... .. .............................................................. .. ... ... ... .. ... ........... ............ .... ... .. ....... .... .. .. ..... ....... ..... .... .. .......... ... .. .... ...... .. ...................... ..... .... 1.1 Findings . ..... ......... .... ....... .............. .. ...... ..... ... ...................... Although the study covered a broad range of conflict landscapes with substantial ............ .. .... variation in geography, subsistence, religion, and conflict type, some findings are .. ...... ...... common across clusters. Commonly, LPCs have a large underutilized potential to . .. contribute to conflict prevention and resolution. However, they face significant . ..... .......... challenges including a lack of CSO support, inadequate infrastructure, logistical .. ................ ......... difficulties, a dearth of administrative and financial support, lack of accountability, and .... ... inadequate integration into larger peace architectures. ........... ... ....... .. .. Composition, structure and mandate . ........................ Main Finding: In SNNPR, composition, structure, and mandate generally adhere to the ... ... regional conflict transformation strategy and guidelines, while the Somali cluster . .. .... regions lack conflict transformation strategies. In most cases, woreda peace .. committee composition consists primarily of administrative representatives and male .. ... elders, with only a few female and youth members. Mandates at the woreda level are .. ..... .. .. usually adequate to address conflicts while at the kebele level they are generally . .................................................... ..... inadequate for addressing inter-woreda and cross-border conflict. ..... .. ... ... .. .. Main Recommendation: Oromia and Somali regions should establish regional . .. .. .. .... .. .. guidelines. In all cases, LPCs should receive more support from regional and zonal . .... .. .. .. ... governments. Secretariats should be established for both woreda and kebele peace . .... .. .... committees and be tasked with coordinating and reporting on regular meetings. .. .. .. .... ..... .. Kebele peace committees should be more fully integrated into the EWER system at the . ... .. woreda level and mandated to meet regularly as well as discuss inter-woreda and . ... ................................................................... ... cross-border conflict relevant to the area. Permanent cross-border and joint-woreda . .. .. peace committees should be formed in all areas where conflict crosses woredas or .. .. national borders. ...... ........... ... ..... .. .. .. .. ... .. ........ .... .. ..... .. .. .. ...... .. .. ....... Investigating the Potential of Peace Committees ... .. ...... .... ... .... ...................... .. .... .. .. .. ... ......... ... ... ..................................................................................................... ........ .. ........... .. .. ...... ........................ .... .. ... .... .. ..... .. .. .................................................... P . age .... ........ 5 .. .. .... .. .. .... ... .. .. ....... .. .... .... .. ... .. .. ...... .. ... .... .. ..... .. ... ... .. .............................................................. .. ... ... ... .. ... ........... ............ .... ... .. ....... .... .. .. ..... ....... ..... .... .. .......... ... .. .... ...... .. ...................... ..... Early warning and early response participation and capacity . .... ..... ......... Main Finding: The lack of communication equipment, poor infrastructure, and an .... ....... .............. .. insufficient LPC presence hinder the early warning participation and capacity of peace . ...... committees. At the same time, early response from regional levels and CEWARN is ..... ... impeded by a lack of integration between these reporting mechanisms and the LPCs. ...................... ............ .... .. .. ...... ...... Main Recommendation: A comprehensive Early Response Strategy should be . .. developed within CEWERU, and kebele and woreda peace committees should be . ..... .......... further integrated into the EWER system. Communication equipment should be .. ................ ......... distributed to all kebeles with sufficient infrastructure located in conflict-prone areas. .... ... Regular communication between kebele and woreda peace committees should occur. ........... ... ....... Efforts by both IGAD and the regional government should focus on facilitating .. .. joint-woreda