Ethiopia's Little-Known Conflict in the Lower Omo

 African Arguments posted on 4 March 2026 a commentary titled "Ethiopia's Smaller Wars: Destitution, Conflict Escalation, and Military Abuses in Lower Omo" by Lucie Buffavand.

Me'en and Mun people (also known as Bodi and Mursi) are agro-pastoralists who live in the lower Omo Valley in southern Ethiopia.  These two small ethnic groups have been engaged in conflict since 2023.  Cattle rustling and competition for food is behind much of the conflict.

Sudan/South Sudan: Abyei Climate, Peace and Security Fact Sheet

 The Norwegian Institute of International Affairs and SIPRI published in December 2025 a report titled "Abyei: Climate, Peace and Security Fact Sheet."

Abyei's contested status, its weak governance, and elite-driven politics continue to fuel insecurity.  Increasing climate variability undermines food security and livelihood activities, particularly livestock and seasonal pastoralism.  Intensifying seasonal hazards, such as floods, drive displacement and worsen the humanitarian crisis in Abyei.

Climate Change and Conflict in the Horn of Africa

 The Heritage Institute published in September 2023 conference proceedings titled "Climate Change and Conflict in the Horn: Challenges, Responses and New Mandates."

These 15 papers focus primarily on Somalia.  They conclude that climate and weather variability are threatening agricultural and livestock production systems on which the livelihood of over 70 percent of Somali society depends.  Civil conflicts undermine domestic production, impede investments in the key economic sectors and increase rural urban migration as well as the costs of production.  Al-Shabaab remains the defining feature of Somalia's unending conflict landscape.  Weak governance compounds the effect of climate shocks.  Inadequate climate finance will limit the ability of countries in the Horn of Africa to mitigate climate change impacts.  

Climate Change and Conflict in the Horn of Africa

 The Heritage Institute published in September 2023 conference proceedings titled "Climate Change and Conflict in the Horn: Challenges, Responses and New Mandates."

No challenge is more daunting in the Horn of Africa than climate change.  This document brings together 15 papers that aid in the understanding of climate change and the impact it has on livelihoods, conflicts, and understanding the way forward in the Somali context.  

Ethiopia: Afar-Somali Region Border Dispute

 Ethiopia Insight published on 11 July 2022 a commentary titled "Afar-Somali Border Dispute Can Be Resolved Peacefully" by Muktar Ismail, a former adviser to Somali Region.  

The issue here is three special kebeles (wards) in Afar Region that are inhabited predominantly by Somalis and wish to be integrated into Somali Region.  There are historical arguments on both sides.  Conflict has periodically occurred along the border.  The author argues that elders from both sides should lead the negotiation process. 

World Food Program's Effort to Reduce Conflict in Ethiopia's Somali Region

 The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute published in April 2022 a report titled "The World Food Programme's Contribution to Improving the Prospects for Peace in Ethiopia" by Farah Hegazi, Vongai Murugani, Grazia Pacillo, and Peter Laderach.  

The report assesses the contributions of WFP Ethiopia's climate adaptation and risk management programs to encourage peace in Ethiopia.  It concludes the programs can potentially contribute to conflict reduction in the Somali region of Ethiopia through reducing herders' mobility during drought and improving natural resource management.

Opening Up Northeast Kenya

African Arguments posted on 27 June 2018 an article titled "LAPSSET: Will a New Highway Open Up the Long-neglected Garissa?" by Nick Young.

A major road from Lamu Port on the Kenyan coast to Garissa in the Somali inhabited section of Kenya is part of the $25 billion Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia (LAPSSET) project. This article looks at the economic, social, and security aspects of the road project.

Mitigating Natural Disasters in Somaliland

The University of Hargeisa Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies published in November 2017 a study titled "Mitigating Natural Disasters in Somaliland: Policy Options and Strategies" by Nasir M. Ali and Kedir Jemal.

The objective of the study is to explore existing gaps and weaknesses in climate-related policies and institutional frameworks, with a specific focus on drought-related issues. It also critically examines possible strategies and approaches to help mitigate the impacts of future droughts with a special emphasis on early warning systems.

Kenyan Elections and Violence in the North

The International Crisis Group published on 19 July 2017 a report titled "Ethnic Contest and Electoral Violence in Northern Kenya" by Abdullahi Abdille.

General elections in Kenya in August could trigger intercommunal fighting. In Isiolo and Marsabit, longstanding tensions primarily pitting the dominant Boran against minority ethnic groups are exacerbated by the electoral contest for county leadership.

Ethiopia Facing Drought and Climate Change

The Washington Post published on 18 July 2017 an article titled "Climate Change Threatens an Ancient Way of Life in Ethiopia" by Paul Schemm.

An estimated 8 million people, especially in Ethiopia's Somali Region, are in need of food aid. El Nino and climate change are among the causes.

Land Conflicts in Kenya

The Institute for Defense Analyses Africa Watch published on 1 June 2017 a brief item titled "The Roots of Conflict over Land in Kenya" by George Ward.

The analyses looks at the interplay of pastoralism, ethnicity, economics, land policy, and climate change in Kenya.

Kenya: Drought, Pastoralism, and Violence

World Politics Review published on 9 May 2017 an interview with Murithi Mutiga, International Crisis Group, titled "How Drought and Politics Are Exacerbating Pastoralist Violence in Kenya."

The author discusses the intersection in northern Kenya of drought, access to water and pasture, pastoralism, land conservation and confiscation, and politics. The result is an increase in violence.

Intergroup Conflicts along the Ethiopia-Kenya Border

The African Journal on Conflict Resolution published in its December 2016 issue an article titled "Competing Orders and Conflicts at the Margins of the State: Inter-group Conflicts along the Ethiopia-Kenya Border" by Asebe Regassa Rebelo.

The paper argues that inter-group conflicts in Africa, including the recurrent conflicts on the margins of the Ethiopian state along the Ethiopia-Kenya border are caused by a complex interplay of factors and involvement of actors. The conflicts should not be reduced to ethnicity and resource scarcity. The paper looks at the interaction of three ethnic groups: Borana, Gabra, and Garri.

Somalia: Male Power, Insecurity, and Inequality

The Rift Valley Institute published in March 2017 a briefing paper titled "Somalia: A State of Male Power, Insecurity and Inequality" by Judith Gardner and Judy El-Bushra.

The study identified kinship after 1991 as an organizing force for state-building and security in Somalia. Male domination of government and politics has become more entrenched. Accountability is between the individual male leaders and his close kinsmen who promoted him on the expectation of personal gain, creating a new dominant form of masculinity based on wealth and control of resources.

Somaliland Drought: Diaspora and Mobile Banking to Rescue

The Gulf News published on 7 April 2017 an article titled "Did Adam Smith's Invisible Hand Rescue Somali Drought Victims?" by Bashir Goth, commentator on African issues.

The author reports how the Somali diaspora, using mobile banking, is providing much needed cash to relatives in Somaliland as drought devastates livestock in the Horn of Africa.

Ethiopia: Omo River Basin Development and Human Rights

Springer Open Access recently posted an entire book titled River Basin Development and Human Rights in Eastern Africa -- A Policy Crossroads by Claudia J. Carr, University of California at Berkeley.

The book is a detailed analysis of river basin development on the Omo River in Ethiopia. It contains the following chapters:

--At Stake with River Basin Development in Eastern Africa.
--The Persistent Paradigm for 'Modernizing' River Basins: Institutions and Policies.
--The Seismic Threat to the Gibe III Dam: A Disaster in Waiting.
--Transboundary Survival Systems: A Profile of Vulnerability.
--Components of Catastrophe: Social and Environmental Consequences of Omo River Basin Development.
--The Rush to Rationalize: Public Policies and Impact Assessments.
--The Dasanech of the Lowermost Omo Basin: From Adaptation to Development.
--Nyangatom Livelihood and the Omo Riverine Forest.
--Turkana Survival Systems at Lake Turkana: Vulnerability to Collapse from Omo Basin Development.
--Human Rights Violations and the Policy Crossroads.

Pastoral Life in Ethiopia's Somali Region

The Inter Press Service published on 30 June 2014 a human interest story titled "Trekking with Ethiopia's Nomads, from Watering Holes to Pasture Lands, for a Better Life" by William Lloyd-George.  The article, which includes pictures, focuses on pastoralism in Ethiopia's Somali Region. 

Can New Water Discoveries Save East Africa?

Foreign Affairs published on 8 April 2014 a piece titled "Quenching Kenya: Can New Water Discoveries Save East Africa?" by Brahma Chellaney.  The author points out that East Africa is one of the most water stressed areas of the world but suggests a solution may be the discovery of new underground aquifers.

Drought and Famine in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia

Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia all face perennial food security challenges. In 2011, parts of Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia experienced serious food shortages but only south and central Somalia experienced famine conditions. Jason Mosley of Chatham House in London did a study of this situation titled "Translating Famine Early Warning into Early Action: An East Africa Case Study" in November 2012.

The paper explores how the political context has affected and, in effect, constrains or enables the humanitarian community in its response to emergencies, examining the operating environments in Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia.

Click here to read the report.

Displaced Pastoralists in Northern Kenya

The Institute for Security Studies published on 8 October 2012 a report on the internal displacement and vulnerability of pastoralist communities in northern Kenya. The authors are Nuur Mohamud Sheekh, Andrews Atta-Asamoah and Roba D. Sharamo. They state that internal displacement has forced hundreds of thousands of pastoralists from their homes and lands in northern Kenya.

The report investigates the situation surrounding these displaced pastoralists. It examines the causes of their displacement, the legal basis for their protection, the shortcomings in responding to their problem and makes recommendations to the government of Kenya, pastoralist leaders and the donor community.

Click here to read the report.