VZCZCXRO1848
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHDS #2073/01 2071414
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 261414Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1809
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ADDIS ABABA 002073 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/E 
DEPARTMENT PASS USAID FOR AFR 
TO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETRD EFIN EINV EAID OPICEAGR EAID PGOV PREF ET
SUBJECT: ETHIOPIAN PASTORALISTS GATHERING DISCUSS INTERNAL 
AND CROSS-BORDER CONFLICTS 
 
REF:  ADDIS ABABA 1939 (NOTAL) 
      ADDIS ABABA 1893 (NOTAL) 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY: From July 16-18, the UN's Office of the 
Coordinator for Humanitarian Activities (UN OCHA) convened 
approximately 300 pastoralists from about 15 West and East 
African countries, as part of UN OCHA's DFID-funded 
Pastoralist Communications Initiative.  The meeting provided 
a platform for significant discussions on the margins 
between the leadership of the Borena and Gujji Oromos, and 
resulted in a separate agreement between opposing Nuer 
communities to continue talks on resolving conflict in 
Ethiopia's Gambella Region.  In addition to conflict 
mitigation, the pastoralist gathering providedas well as 
opportunities for cross fertilization of ideas on economic 
development, governance and policy issues, and provision of 
services such as education.  In addition to conflict 
resolution, livestock marketing and trade also were key 
topics of discussion.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (U) This was the second pastoralist gathering organized 
by UN OCHA's Pastoralist Communications Initiative.the 
Pastoralist Communications Initiative, part of UN OCHA in 
Ethiopia funded by DFID.  The previous Global Pastoralist 
Gatheringone in January 2005 drewwas a Global Pastoralist 
Gathering with 200 participants from 23 countries 
represented by over 200 participants, and metheld in the 
Hamer Tribal area of Turmi, Southern in Ethiopia's Southern 
Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region.  The July 16- 
18is gathering was held at a tented camp near Yabello in the 
Borena Oromo area, and also includedfocused on West and East 
Africa, with over 300 participants from about 15 African 
countries, pastoralist experts, NGOs, donors, and observers 
from Latin America, the Middle EastArab countries, and Iran, 
and pastoralist experts, NGO's and donors.  It was held at a 
tented camp near Yabello in the Borena Oromo area. 
 
¶3. (U) The timing of the gathering was very relevant, as 
USAID is embarking on a regional program focusing on 
pastoralists, with a component on livestock trade.   In 
addition, after the meeting was planned, a major conflict 
erupted between the Borena people and the neighboring Gujji 
Oromos, costing an estimated 100 or more lives, which is 
stillremains unresolved.   The meeting provided a platform 
for major side discussions between the leadership of the 
Borena and Gujji Oromos, as well as opportunities for other 
conflict mitigation, and cross fertilization of ideas on 
economic development, provision of services such as 
education, and governance and policy issues. 
 
¶4. (U) The meeting was fully supported by the Ethiopian 
government, which facilitated the entry of participants from 
many countries, and participated with others in the last 
days of the meeting to hear the input from pastoralists put 
forward their ideas.  Federal gGovernment representatives 
included officials from the Ministry Ministries of Foreign 
Affairs, Federal Affairs, and Agriculture, while regional 
officials included representatives from and the 
OromoOromiya, Somali, and Southern Nations, Nationalities, 
and Peoples' Nation (SNNPR) attendedRegions. 
 
Among others, livestock marketing trade and conflict were of 
most interest. 
 
 
----------------------------- 
Livestock Marketing and Trade 
------------------------------ 
 
¶5. (U) While plenary discussions Discussions were held at 
the main meetingsaddressed on livelihoods and livestock in 
general, but at USAID'sthe request of USAID a side meeting 
was held to discuss barriers to affecting livestock trade 
through the northern corridor ports of Bosaso (Puntland, 
Somalia), Berbera (Somaliland, Somalia) and Djibouti.  This 
was a unique opportunity to speak collectively to 
representatives of these areas together, and to provide 
input for feed into the planningning process for the 
livestock marketing underpart of the Regional Enhanced 
Livelihoods for Pastoralist Areas (RELPA) project which will 
be starting soon. 
 
¶6. (U) Approximately 40 rRepresentatives of the Somali- 
speaking areas of Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia (Somaliland 
and, Puntland), and Kenya attended the a two-and-half-hour- 
 
ADDIS ABAB 00002073  002 OF 003 
 
 
long campfire meeting, including three Ministers of 
Livestock and MP's from Ethiopia and Kenya.   About 40 
persons gathered around a campfire for a 2  hour 
discussion.   All the pParticipants said this was the first 
time that they had attended a meeting of people from all 
these Somali- Sspeaking areas since the Somalia's 
dissolutionbreakup of Somalia more than 15 years ago. 
 
 
¶7. (SBU) In summary, aAll agreed that the Rift Valley Fever 
ban on live animal imports from the Horn of Africa to Saudi 
Arabia had the biggest impact on reducing prices and volume 
of trade from the ports.   All agreed thatWhile 
acknowledging the need for better sanitary or phyto-sanitary 
control and certification must be built, some say although 
many consider that the continuation of the ban is 
political:  (they say a Saudi prince reportedly handles the 
import of live animals from Australia and is preventing the 
lifting of the Rift Valley Fever ban on the Horn of Africa). 
They all asked for U.S. help in removing the ban and in 
building sanitary and phyto phyto-sanitary capacity.  Many 
thought Saudi Arabia wanted to re-establish imports of sheep 
and goats from the Horn, and that some certification effort 
would provide the necessary justification for imports to 
resume. 
 
 
¶8. (U) USAID's Regional Livestock Advisor for USAID from 
Nairobi asked the group about their level of action and 
commitment on improving the livestock trade .  He asked what 
they had been doing to modernize and seek other means to 
improve livestock trade, and how serious would they be 
intheir commitment to instituting tough veterinary controls 
to prevent disease transmission. 
 
The Somalis were challenged by this and asked for help in 
convening a planning session amongmeeting of the different 
stakeholders from Djibouti, Somalia (Somaliland and, 
Puntland) and Ethiopia to be held to have a serious and 
practical planning session specifically onaddress livestock 
trade issues. 
 
In follow up discussions with vVarious officials, including 
particular a very activePuntland Minister of Livestock from 
Puntland, Said Jama Ali, strongly advocatedthe idea of a 
follow up meeting was pushed hard.  The group insisted that 
it would be best if USAID supported supporting such a follow- 
upthis meeting and, though its advocacy, continued the 
momentum. 
 
¶9. (U) 
 
There was also a feeling that Saudi Arabia wanted to re- 
establish imports of sheep and goats from the Horn, and that 
some certification effort would provide the necessary 
excuse. 
 
Atfter the gathering finished, a follow upsubsequent meeting 
was held atwith USAID in Addis Ababa, with Kenya'sthe 
Director of Livestock Production for the Government of 
Kenya, Mr. Julius Kiptarus, who attended the Pastoralist 
gathering,.  He encouraged USAID to assist with helping toin 
remove removing the barriers to formal cross- border trade, 
and to help improveing the veterinary delivery and 
certification services in Ethiopia. 
 
-------- 
Conflict 
-------- 
 
¶10. (U) The Gujji-Borena Oromo conflict was omnipresent at 
the pastoralist gathering due to its proximity to the 
gatheringsince it took place near where the conflict had 
taken place.  There were pProlonged and in-depth discussions 
between Gujji and Borena leaders on the margins`on the side' 
at the gathering includeding the traditional heads from both 
groups, the Abba Gaddas, who discussed the causes of the 
conflict and from both groupscommitted themselves to 
stopping the violence..  The `'Gathering'' organizers 
reported that they felt good progress, citing  had been 
made, reporting diminishing reports of violent incidents and 
decreasing IDP estimates of IDPs from the conflict.   The 
hope is that traditional conflict management structures can 
be used to resolve the conflict and deal with the underlying 
causes.  Both the Gujji and Borena leadership agreed that 
 
ADDIS ABAB 00002073  003 OF 003 
 
 
they felt the "government", even though this was not clearly 
defined, was the problem, and that they should re-establish 
their traditional peaceful relations themselves. 
 
¶11. (SBU) The Abba Gaddas met and committed themselves to 
stopping the violence and, in this forum, there was deeper 
discussion on the causes and resolution of the conflict. 
 
While the overall assessment is that violence is decreasing, 
a number of remaining concerns were expressed.  These 
included thesome expressed concern that both Abba Gaddas 
were giving lip service to peace while preparing for another 
round of fighting.   The Gujji Abba Gadda, - considered to 
be closer to the government, has extended his leadership 
from the normal eight years by to another two years (some 
say three), therefore preventing the accession of the leader 
of the next age group coming to power for his traditional 
eight- year terms.   The reason given by the Abba Gadda is 
that he will deliver a new zone to the Gujji: - Western 
Gujji next to the Southern Nations, Nationalities and 
People's' Region, to be carved out of the existing Borena 
Zone.  The conflict was sparked when the government awarded 
Gujji Zone a section of Borena Zone in late May.   The 
Borena Abba Gadda is said to be `"angry as a lion' lion" and 
still out for revenge for the killings which have taken 
place so far. 
 
¶12. (SBU) One possible indicator of the fear of further 
conflict is the movement of Borena Oromos and their Gabbara 
allies further into Kenya, pushed by the conflict and by 
fears of further attacks.  The Ethiopian Gabbara were said 
to bereportedly making arrangements at the Pastoralist 
gathering with their fellow Gabbara from Kenya to move into 
Kenya in large numbers to avoid the conflict.  They are said 
to feel that the Borena will lose the upcoming round of 
conflict with the Gujji, because the Gujji have government 
support. 
 
An impact of the mMovement of the Borena and Gabbara into 
Kenya over the past few weeks has causedis increased 
conflict with tribes south of them in Kenya.  :  at USAID, 
Kenya'sThe Director of Livestock  for Kenya told the USAID 
meeting that there wasreported a big increased in fighting 
between Borena and neighboring people to the south, which 
wouldand it would get worsen as the Borena were pushed down 
from the north for `"political' political" reasons. 
 
¶13. (U) A great success was bringing together opposing sides 
to discuss The hope is that traditional conflict management 
structures can be used to resolve the conflict and deal with 
the underlying causes.  Both the Gujji and Borena leadership 
agreed in the discussions that they felt the `government', 
even though this was not clearly defined, was the problem 
and they should re-establish their traditional peaceful 
relations themselves. 
 
There was also discussion on conflict in the eastern 
Gambella conflictRegion, between the Nuer community living 
in Gambella and the Nuer community in Sudan (whose 
traditional chief attended).  This was considered a great 
success because the two sides have had serious conflict and 
have not been talking to each other.   Positive discussions 
were held and there wasconcluded with  agreement to 
continuethat the discussions would continue once the groups 
had returned home.  This is a major factor in determining 
whether the Nuer refugees in Gambella can return to Sudan. 
 
¶14. (U) There was also a great deal of undirected talk about 
the situation in Somalia situation, includingwith the fear 
that a serious civil war may break outerupt.  There was 
considerable debate about how `"fundamentalist' 
fundamentalist" the Islamic Courts are, how much they 
reflect clan structures, and how much support they or the 
Transitional Federal Ggovernment enjoyed.