Learning From Local Peace Process Workshop

28th – 30th April 2010Nomad Hotel, GARISA

Presentation of Somali CEWERU Establishment Process

ByOsman Mohiadin Moallim

CEWARN Focusing• CEWARN’s current focus and entry point in its early warning

and response work is on cross border pastoral and related conflicts. It is currently operational in three pilot areas, namely:

• Karamoja Cluster (cross-border areas of Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan)

• Somali Cluster (cross-border areas of Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia)

• Dhikil/Afar Cluster (cross-border areas of Djibouti, Ethiopia)

• Five of the member states have established national structures for conflict early warning and early response.

Somali CEWERU Two Track ProcessConsultative process started by Kenya CSOs along Somalia/Kenya border on

2006 and linked with Somali CSOs along Kenya/Somali border.

• KISIMA lead by Isse Abdi Isse, a Somali CSO based in Kismayo, was requested to drive the process by coming to CEWARN HQs in Addis- Ababa, to learn about its work in 2006.

• It was also agreed that KISIMA be the interim national research institute (NRI) for Somalia. Isse was killed in early March 2007 in Mogadishu.

• In 2007, a formal meeting was held at Mombasa with Amb. Khalil of CEWARN, Osman of SOYDEN, CSO in Somalia, was requested to lead the process.

• Two meeting in 2008: August 09, Addis-Ababa consultation (Govt. and CSO) and October 08, Baidoa consultation meeting (planned but did not take place) but consultations continued at another meeting in Garissa which CSOs and government representatives attended in January 09.

• In April 2009, CEWARN meeting in Addis, attended by Permanent Secretary Ministry Foreign Affairs together with CSOs to harmonize the approach and come with the way forward.

Somali CEWERU Work planPlanning activities Cross border

clusterExpected outcome

Source of funding

Time frame

Somalia CEWERU Workshop in Addis Ababa

Somali cluster Establishment of CEWERU, identify area of reporting identify CC and ACC

CEWARN May

Workshop to establish linkages b/w Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenyan PC & Civil Society

Somali cluster Improving the linked

CEWARN July

Training of Somali FM by Eth and Kenya NRI / Capacity building of CC and ACC in NBO

Somali cluster Somali FM trained

CEWARN and PEACE II

July

Gabbra / Borana Peace Imitative

Somali cluster Consultation mechanism established

CEWARN August

Planning Activities

Cross Border Cluster

Expected Outcome Source of Funding

Time Frame

Somalia Cluster Coordination Mitigation for FMs

Somali cluster Est. of coordination and contact of FM

CEWARN

Exchange visit of Som, Eth, Djibouti CEWERUs to Kenya

Somali cluster Contacts, coordination & capacity building for CEWERUs created

CEWARN

Peace Committee Assessment

Somali cluster Capacity of Peace Committees established and capacity building plan designed

CEWARN and PEACE II

The Consultation Meeting in AddisThe preparatory consultative meeting took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on the 28th and 29th June 2009 at Panorama Hotel attended by 37 participants from Somalia as well as civil society representatives from the border areas of Kenya and Somalia.The participants have shared experience and lesson learnt from the process of CEWERU establishment.The CEWARN protocol and the development of national CEWERU took time to develop even in a context where all state institutions were in place; the process of development took different form and shape in the different member states. The acceptance of such regional mechanisms was not seen as priority. It took time for member states to realize the symbiotic relationship between the citizens and hence a collaborative response was key in responding to issues of pastoralist conflicts in the cross border areas of the member states.

Participants Delegates

Opportunities and Challenges• Challenges• Land dispute, power struggle, fighting due to scarcity

resource, unbalance sharing of resource , lack of employment among the youth, privatization of public land and resources, limited the work of enforcement institutions and less control the country by the TFG.

• Opportunities• Common language and culture, active CSO on the ground,

local institutions of religious leaders and traditional elders for CPMR and legitimacy government.

• The participants discover these opportunities can be harnessed and strengthened for effective development of CEWERU strategies for Somalia:

The Strategies for Establishment CEWERU

The participants came up with the following strategies to inform the development of a CEWERU in Somalia.SUITABLE APPROACHES• To develop a public relations/communications strategies and promote awareness• Mobilizing of stakeholders at both local and national levels• Supported by creative Information, Education and Communication

(I.E.C)materials• Workshops for capacity-building• Focus group discussion- Religious leaders, Women, Youth, Elders, Politicians• Creation of peace structures from location/village to District level.

WHERE CAN WE BEGIN?• Training and capacity building for Technical committee and other

stakeholders on CPMR.• Establishing CEWERU in Somalia should be based in the same modalities

as the CEWERUs of Ethiopia and Kenya. • To learn from other member states who have established their

CEWERUs;• Development of strategic and action plans for Somalia CEWERU;• To enhance the capacity of Somalia peace building institutions and

human resource capacity;• Creation of joint coordination and communication structures along the

international borders to ease information sharing among the member states.

Establishing Cross Border Peace Cooperation• Creation of peace structures for cross-border clans.• Creation/identification of peace corridors/hotspots along the common borders.• Creation and strengthening of pastoralist peace builders among the cross border communities.• Linkage between administration and cross border community peace structures of the member states• Peace can be achieved through alleviation of poverty -hence creation of common peace dividend project along the border of the member states to benefit the pastoralist across border communities.• Formation/strengthening of national peace bodies in all the three countries.• Regional umbrella for peace bodies• CEWERU (national)

WAY FORWARD• Practical implementation of the outcome of the report, to form an ad-hoc

technical committee consisting of 9 members (3 from government executive, 2 parliament, 1 NGO, 1 women group, 1 elders, 1 religious leader) with a timeframe of 1 year and performance review after 6 months. CEWARN and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Somalia was appointed the Adhoc committee.Hon, Abdirisaq Issaq Bihi, Hon. Osman Liban Ibrahim, Mr. Abdiweli Ali Farah (CEWERU focal point), Mr.Mohaidin Khalif Abdi, Col.Mohamed Ahmed Gesoadde, Osman Moallim, Jamilo Said Musse, Ugas Omar Hirey, Sh.Mudey Sh.Mohamed Roble

• Strengthening of peace framework secretariat under the Somali Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to host the ad hoc committee.

• Foreign Affairs Ministry to identify a national research institute to undertake conflict mapping in Somalia.

Next steps…

For CEWERUS:• Organize and implement the RRF Road Shows in

conjunction with CEWRN Unit • prepare project proposals• identify capacity gapsFor donors:• prepare financial agreements

ENDFINE

DHAMAAD

MAHADSINIDIIN