Isiolo: Community-based organizations focused on peace-building efforts have urged county governments to allocate resources to fill financial gaps left by the withdrawal of support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The call comes after the cessation of USAID support from the American government following an administration change in January.
According to Kenya News Agency, peace-building actors from Isiolo, Garissa, and Mandera counties are advocating for their respective county government administrations to intervene and address gaps in cohesion and peace-building efforts. The need for ongoing support is crucial to maintaining peace initiatives in the region. An inter-counties exchange forum, involving community-based organizations and government officials, assessed the advancements achieved in addressing shared challenges across the three counties.
Key issues discussed at the forum included human trafficking, radicalization, and violent extremism. The forum emphasized the importance of sustaining ongoing activities despite the absence of foreign support. Isiolo County's Executive for Finance, Economic Planning, and Conflict Resolution, Ahmed Luqman, noted that the scarcity of resources hindering cohesion and peace-building initiatives intensified following the freezing of US foreign aid and the dissolution of USAID earlier this year. He stated that county government administrations should now ensure the continuation of various peace-building programs.
The County Department of Cohesion and Peace-Building in Isiolo has been directed by Governor Abdi Guyo to enhance peace-building initiatives aimed at promoting peaceful coexistence among the county's diverse ethnic communities, especially in light of conflicts stemming from political divisions and resource sharing.
On the other hand, Mohamed Amin, a program officer at the regional pastoralist Peace Link organization, emphasized that the primary cross-cutting challenges faced in the three counties include human trafficking and the radicalization of youth. These issues contribute to the recruitment of youths by outlawed groups operating in the neighboring country of Somalia. He argued that financial constraints threaten to derail efforts made by both the government and other organizations toward combating these challenges through direct sensitization and engagement of the local population.
Meanwhile, Mandera County Government's Director for Community Cohesion and Conflict Resolution, Abdirizack Mukhtar, and the Sub County Administrator for Garissa Township, Shai Ambe, who led delegations from their respective counties, praised the inter-county exchange forum. They argued that it provided the perfect platform for stakeholders from the region to learn critical lessons from each other.
Similar sentiments were echoed by the Chairperson of the Isiolo Interfaith Network, Sheikh Ahmed Sett, who highlighted the need for collective responsibility among all Kenyans regarding security, peaceful coexistence, and the fight against social issues, including youth radicalization. Sheikh Sett urged both national and county governments to allocate sufficient resources to peace-building initiatives to preserve past gains, especially in light of reduced donor financial support.