Championing a Mandera Free Of Security Threats

“We have endured and survived the greatest challenges of our time and managed to perform fairly well under extreme conditions. The World Bank report put Mandera in the top 14 counties despite difficult circumstances. We know we can do better if we are free of internal security challenges and terror threats.”- Governor Capt. Ali Roba.

If there are counties whose people have demonstrated resilience, Mandera is among those at the very top. The county has endured security threats from occasional clan rivalries and terror attacks by Al-Shabab militants. Still, it has stayed on course with its development agenda. Working in collaboration with National Cohesion and Integration Commission, Mandera County Government has championed stakeholder meetings and conflict impact assessments in its resolve to strike lasting peace in the area.

The peace meetings have not only entailed integrated participation of the council of elders, youth and women, but have also embraced cross-border linkages with neighbouring Ethiopia and Somalia. “We have endured and survived the greatest challenges of our time and managed to perform fairly well under extreme conditions. The World Bank report put Mandera in the top 14 counties despite difficult circumstances. We know we can do better if we are free of security challenges,” Mandera County Governor Ali Roba says. He continues: “There are moments in the lives of nations and its people when it is incumbent upon those in leadership with clarity of vision to survey the problem with all its complexities and vain memories in a bold drive toward new horizons.Such moments are now for us in Mandera.” 

Mandera Senator Billow Kerrow confirms that leaders in Mandera back the peace building efforts, saying: ”As leaders, we are committed to the process. Insha Allah, the people of this region will ultimately reconcile and live in peace.” The County leadership has been on a campaign mode to make Mandera an island of peace after a history of clan clashes that previously turned villages into killing fields. The dream has been to have officials of Mandera County Government stand together to strengthen security amid challenges including the terror thereat from across the border with particularly Somalia. Governor Roba says: “We have fulfilled our promise to deal with the tribal clashes and the insecurity in our county firmly. I am happy to report that the security situation is at its best despite isolated incidents of terror attacks.”

One of the women security officers' in the county

The situation is stabilising around the county, and today, there is a more secure Mandera town. “This County Government cannot fail to work because of insecurity caused by a few selfish individuals,” declares Governor Roba. “We will take all measures to make sure the dream of developing Mandera County and making it an attractive investment destination is not hindered by insecurity.” The Governor continues: “As a County, we have scaled new heights in the area of security. We inherited a burning county, but we have managed to neutralise many acts of violence with the support of our leaders from the county.

“Our clans now co-exist peacefully. In this regard, I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to the National Government for the support they have provided us and the local security team in Mandera for rising to the occasion to secure our County. I also thank our leaders, both elected and local leadership, as well as the COE, who were very instrumental to the achievement of this result."

The chairperson of the Mandera County Public Service Mr Abdi-Nur Hussein, says the County has hired 200 enforcement officers, who were offered paramilitary training at the National Youth Service.

The minister in-charge of conflict resolution, cohesion and integration, Mr Ahmed Sheikh, says a genuine quest for peaceful ways to dealing with conflict amongst rival clans has gone a long way in also allowing for effective security management. “Before the County Government came into being, Mandera got its fair share of violence from across the border. Foreign fighters infiltrated the clan militia. Their agenda was not to support one clan against the other but to use the violence as a shadow for a bigger mission of disrupting county/national security. We had to come up

with a county security strategy to address short and long-term issues,” says Mr Sheikh.

 

County enforcement officers during a guard of honour

Governor Ali Roba with County security officers

The minister says mediation, especially through elders and key opinion leaders, has seen the resettlement of 80 per cent of IDPs, 48 reconciliation meetings, 35 dialogue meetings and 25 Rapid response initiatives. The county Government has also revived Traditional Justice System (TJS) in the form of Council of Elders (COEs). The COEs are now present in all the six sub-counties. They handle day-to-day intra and inter clan disputes. To support the work of the COEs, the Garreh and Degodia clans elected committee members composed of 15 elders to spearhead the implementation of the peace accord.