For decades, the Turkana of Kenya and the Nyangatom and Dassanach of Ethiopia have lived at the edge of survival. Borders had become markers of tension, grazing lands contested, and a single raid could ignite cycles of revenge lasting generations.
Climate stress, shrinking pasture, porous borders, and the proliferation of small arms have over the years turned everyday life into a gamble with violence.
But this past weekend in Omorate, something extraordinary happened: the sound of gunfire was replaced with songs and built hope for a chance for peaceful co-existence.
The Transboundary Peace Advocacy Campaign was supported through the European Union funded ‘Strengthening Integrated Peace, Resilience and Disaster Risk Reduction (SPREAD) project, implemented by DanChurchAid in Kenya and Ethiopia, together with partners Tupado and the Ethiopian Catholic Church Social and Development Commission (ESS-SDCO). The campaign brought together leaders, youth, women, elders, and security actors from both sides of the Kenya-Ethiopia border, not to negotiate from a distance, but to meet face to face, speak truth, and reclaim shared humanity
Peace Caravan led by community leaders in Kenya and Ethiopia
There is no progress in conflict — a call from leadership
Opening the engagement, Mr. Bekele Lokoroma, South Omo Regional State Deputy Zonal Head of Security, stated that conflict is a huge contributor to underdevelopment and does not give a chance to improve situations.
“There is no progress in conflict. Stealing and violence only take us backwards. Peace allows us to share water, pasture, and even protect our wildlife together.”Bekele Lokoroma, South Omo County Head of Security
His words were not abstract. He acknowledged the realities facing the region, especially the displacement of neighbouring communities like the Merille due to lake expansion, and urged compassion over exclusion. “Welcome them. Share with them. Live together. They are people, just like us, facing a situation beyond they ability to amend,” he urged.
In a region where scarcity often fuels hostility, this call reframed peace as shared survival, not weakness.
Omorate: Where old enemies sat as old friends
Holding the engagement in Omorate was symbolic.
This border town has long been associated with raids, fear, and separation. Yet during the campaign, Turkana and Dassanach youths, some previously divided by active conflict, reunited, ate together, shared stories, and spent nights under the same skies
Instead of planning raids, youths discussed how to reach peers still eager for violence and bring them into dialogue spaces. Peace, once confined to boardrooms, had moved where it mattered most: the kraals and grazing fields.
Peace that opens borders, markets, and schools
From the Kenyan side, Mr. Emmanuel Achuka, Ward Administrator, spoke of tangible change: “The peace we have initiated has opened our borders for business. Our children can go to school without fear.”
Dance and merry at the Peace Caravan in Omorate
Yet his message was also a reminder: peace must deliver development. He highlighted urgent needs for schools and water services in remote kraals like Nang’usilng’atuny, reinforcing that peace without services is fragile.
Assistant County Commissioner Steve Juma (Kibish) echoed this, addressing the community in the local language: “Last year, there was no bloodshed. That is not a small thing.”
He reaffirmed the commitment of both governments to sustained dialogue, coordinated security, and cross-border cooperation, adding , “We are one community, only separated by borders.”
“We are one community, only separated by borders.”Steve Juma, Assistant County Commissioner, Kibish
When a football replaced guns
Perhaps the most powerful moment apart from the speeches was at the football pitch.
A Sport-for-Peace match brought together cross-border traders and administrators in a game that ended in a 2–2 draw. There was no obsession with winning. Players exchanged jerseys, laughed, and embraced. The Dassanach and Turkana youth also took to the pitch in a friendly match that ended in a 2-1 win for the Dassanach youth. This was celebrated by all teams.
One footballer, Joseph Ekal, captured the spirit of the day: “Even when someone played rough against me, I did not respond with anger. Because at the end of the day, whoever wins, we remain brothers.”
For communities where young men are often mobilised into violence, this was a powerful reimagining of masculinity, strength, and rivalry.
“Even when someone played rough against me, I did not respond with anger. Because at the end of the day, whoever wins, we remain brothers.”Joseph Ekal
For communities where young men are often mobilised into violence, this was a powerful reimagining of masculinity, strength, and rivalry.
The SPREAD approach: peace woven into livelihoods
What makes this intervention under the SPREAD project different is how peace is built.
Through the project, peacebuilding is not treated as a standalone activity, but woven into livelihoods, resilience, and local governance. The project works across the entire peace ecosystem, national and county governments, peace committees, kraal elders, youth and women groups, security actors, CSOs, and faith-based organisations
TUPADO Executive Director, Mr. Sammy Ekal, emphasized that the peace sought after will continue to opened doors for business, for friendship, and for dignity.”
His appeal was clear and urgent, “We pray that both governments fully own this initiative long after donor funding ends.”
This peace will ensure prosperity, let us guard itSammy Ekal, Executive Director, TUPADO
His appeal was clear and urgent, “We pray that both governments fully own this initiative long after donor funding ends.”
From songs to strategy: rewriting the story of the border
Traditional dances, peace songs, storytelling, and a vibrant peace caravan through town transformed Omorate into a living statement: peace is not just negotiated, it is also celebrated.
One Nyang’atom artist, Lotiono Nyaamuara, told the crowd:
“This is the biggest event I have ever performed in. Many people know my peace songs, but today I finally met my fans.”
He announced a new peace song dedicated to SPREAD, proof that culture remains one of the strongest vehicles for reconciliation.
A fragile peace, a shared responsibility
The Turkana–Dassanach conflict did not emerge overnight, and it will not disappear overnight either. But the events in Omorate showed what is possible when communities are trusted, youth are engaged, women are included, and peace is linked to everyday survival.
About SPREAD: Peace & Resilience
Full title: “Strengthening integrated Peace, Resilience and Disaster Risk Reduction for cross-border communities in the Karamoja Cluster.”
Timeframe: 1 February 2024 – 31 January 2027
Budget: €16 million EURO
Donors: European Union (€14M), DANIDA
Partners: DCA Kenya, Turkana Pastoralist Development Organization, DCA Ethiopia, DCA South Sudan, Root of Generations and Ethiopian Catholic Church Social and Development Commission
People targeted: 80,000
Locations: South Omo (Ethiopia), Turkana (Kenya), Eastern Equatoria (South Sudan)
