Ethiopia, Kenya agreed to enhance border security, curb tribal clashes
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By Tesfa-Alem Tekle
June 6, 2011 (ADDIS ABABA) - Ethiopia and Kenyan officials who have
been gathering in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, signed an accord
to strengthen security along their common border following their
four-day ministerial meeting on 2 June.
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Members of the Turkana tribe, Kenya (photo: BBC)
The meeting comes after at least 34 people were killed in conflict
between Kenya’s Turkana and Ethiopia’s Merille communities in border
regions last month.
The meeting "made commitment for the enhancement of security along
common borders by addressing the challenges created by anti-peace
elements, competition for scarce resources and the proliferation of
small arms," said a joint statement.
The two countries "addressed the issue of shared trans-boundary
resources and their utilization, especially shared waters, taking into
account the guiding principles of equitable use and ensuring no
significant harm to downstream areas and peoples."
The two neighbouring countries have also agreed to push on
infrastructure and development projects connecting the two countries
including "in electricity, roads, railways, information communication
and technology as well as civil aviation."
Such tribal clashes are common at the shared border, mainly caused
over resources such as pasture. However the extent of the latest
clashes has raised security concerns.
Officials of the two countries have made it clear that the tribal
conflicts do not represent confrontation between states.
Many members of the Kenyan Turkana tribes reportedly cross the border
to Ethiopia on daily bases to purchase food from Merrile villagers and
sometimes misunderstandings between the two sides lead to clashes.
Following the recent deadly clashes, the Kenyan government has began
distributing food to Turkana villagers to deter them from travelling
to Ethiopia in search of food.
(ST)
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