A cross-border peace forum intended to mend a growing divide
between Kenya's Turkana and Southern Sudan's Toposa communities
over diminishing resources has been organized by IOM and the Kenyan
government as continued famine and drought devastate northern
Kenya.

The peace forum, scheduled to run from 30-31 March 2011 in
Lokichoggio (Northern Kenya), is part of a Japanese-funded IOM
programme that aims to mitigate resource-based conflicts among
pastoralist communities in northern Kenya as part of efforts to
adapt to climate change.

The two communities, respectively living either side of the
Kenyan-Sudanese border, have witnessed a growing number of
resource-based conflicts in recent years. Toposas cross over to
Kenya in search of pasture while the Turkanas cross to Sudan in
search of water.

The northern regions of Kenya are marked by massive loss of
pasture, water scarcity, declining terms of trade for livestock as
well as high food prices, famine, poverty and malnutrition
rates.

With both communities being pastoralists, there has been an
escalation in cattle rustling with retaliatory attacks between both
communities leaving several people dead and thousands of livestock
unaccounted for.

The ever increasing tension between the Turkana and the Toposa
is a concern for both the Kenyan and Southern Sudanese governments
who have partnered with IOM to help manage the autonomous cross
border movements of these pastoralist communities.

The cross-border consultative forum aims to foster a cross
border surveillance committee that will help monitor and give early
warning to incidents of violence.

The forum will be attended by elders and community leaders from
the Turkana and Toposa communities as well as by John Munyesi,
Kenya's Minister for Labour (also the area Member of Parliament for
Turkana North), two parliamentarians from Southern Sudan, the
District Commissioners and District Officers from Kenya and
Southern Sudan, as well as representatives of civil society.

For more information please contact:

Japheth Kasimbu

IOM Kenya

Tel: +254710602615

E-mail: "mailto:jkasimbu@iom.int">jkasimbu@iom.int