UK, Ethiopia launch peace program to mitigate instability along Ethiopia-Kenya-Somalia borders

The British Embassy in Addis Abeba together with Ethiopian Foreign Affairs and Peace ministries as well as the Somali regional government have launched a peace and security program dubbed ‘Deris Wanaag’ aimed to bolster resilience against violent extremism in the Ethiopia-Kenya-Somalia borderland regions.

According to a press release sent to Addis Standard the UK will commit £10 million over the next three years for the program which was launched in Jigjiga, Somali region on Thursday, 09 November 2023.

“The programme will support effective policy and programming, strengthen formal and informal resilience-building mechanisms and address community needs to mitigate against drivers of instability and violent extremism,” the press release noted.

‘Deris Wanaag’ which is a Somali idiom meaning ‘good neighborliness’ will focus on integrating national responses to insecurity, supporting conflict resolution structures, and aligning development and peacebuilding activity across the three countries.

Mustafe Omar, the Somali Region President, during the launch highlighted the importance of cross-border cooperation in addressing the drivers of instability in the Horn of Africa, where many of the socioeconomic dynamics are shared across the borders.

According to the press release, the program will leverage UK’s strategic partnerships and build on the successes of previous activity in the region to ensure that security, development, and peacebuilding efforts bring real benefit to the communities in the border areas. The launch in Jigjiga brought together government officials from Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia, and the program leads to discuss priority areas for implementation.

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