“We share culture, values, and ways of life with the Turkana community,” says Lokoya Elkol, a respected elder from the Nyangatom community. For generations, however, these shared bonds were often overshadowed by conflicts over grazing land, water resources, and cross-border tensions between neighbouring communities.
Across the borderlands of Ethiopia, Kenya, and South Sudan, diverse pastoralist and agro-pastoralist communities have long shared resources, cultures, and livelihoods. At the same time, competition over grazing land, water, and other resources has often fueled tensions and conflict.
The SPREAD Project is working to change this reality by strengthening resilience, reducing conflict, and supporting peaceful coexistence among cross-border communities. A key component of this effort is the establishment of Community Action Groups (CAGs), which facilitate dialogue, monitor emerging tensions, and support local conflict prevention and resolution mechanisms. The Community Action Groups are made up of community elders, religious leaders, women and youth.
In Libere and Kajamaika Kebeles of Nyangatom Woreda, members of the Community Action Group say the project has brought meaningful change to relationships between neighboring communities.
Lokoya, a member of the Community Action Group (CAG) explains that CAG members received training in conflict prevention and resolution before returning to their communities to share the knowledge and promote peace. Through community discussions and awareness-raising activities, they have encouraged dialogue and understanding between the Nyangatom and neighboring Turkana communities.
“People are beginning to realize that we have more similarities than differences,” says Lokoya.
The impact extends beyond peacebuilding. Improved relationships have opened new opportunities for trade and economic cooperation. Today, Turkana community members visit Nyangatom markets to buy groceries, while Nyangatom residents cross the border to purchase clothing and other goods. The project has also supported the establishment of a livestock market center where cattle, goats, and donkeys are traded, creating stronger economic connections and mutual benefits for both communities.
Traditionally, elders play an important role in mediating disputes. While these customary systems remain valuable, they are often reactive, responding to conflicts after they had already occurred. Through the SPREAD Project, Community Action Groups are now helping communities identify risks early and take action to prevent disputes before they escalate.
The transformation has also been felt among women. Nawos Nakhali, a member of the Community Action Group, reflects on how attitudes have changed over time.
“In the past, women often encouraged men to go and fight,” she says. “Today, we encourage our husbands, brothers, and sons to choose peace. We have learned that conflict creates an endless cycle of suffering, and we actively discourage violence”.
Local leadership, community dialogue, and cross-border cooperation can turn shared challenges into shared opportunities, building not only peace, but also stronger relationships, greater economic cooperation, and a more resilient future for all.
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