Peacebuilding Projects Forge Path to Strengthened Community Coexistence between Guinea, C?te d’Ivoire and Sierra Leone
19 December 2023
With 12 operational transhumance committees and 68?agricultural cooperatives addressing land use-related tensions in an area supporting 110,000 people, the impact of PBF-Funded Initiatives is being felt in cross-border communities of Guinea, C?te d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone.
In the often-overlooked borderlands and cross-border regions in West Africa, conflicts stemming from transhumance are an all-too-familiar sight. As herders search for grazing land, their herds occasionally roam into farmlands, damaging crops. This scenario frequently escalates into confrontations, often marked by violence, between herders and local farmers. Reduced access to water and arable land, exacerbated by climate change, is further adding to the competition and tensions. The border areas connecting Guinea, C?te d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone are not immune to these problems. Over the past several years, local authorities have grappled with the challenge of resolving heightened tensions between herders and farmers.
In the border villages of the Beyla and Faranah prefectures in Guinea, two initiatives, ‘Consolidating cross-border social cohesion between C?te d'Ivoire and Guinea for better understanding and anticipation of risks, as well as strengthening trust and collaboration between local players (CoSocFront)’ and ‘Consolidating peace and strengthening the livelihoods of farmers and livestock breeders’ are playing a pivotal role in restoring social harmony. These projects are helping to mitigate sources of tension surrounding land use and transhumance, bolster local security, establish inclusive dialogue mechanisms, and provide socio-economic opportunities to the most affected communities, while bringing them to work together through cooperatives.
Financed by the United Nations Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund (PBF), with budgets of $3.7 million and $4.5 million respectively, these endeavours were carried out from October 2021 to October 2023. The implementation has involved a collaboration with government partners, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP), and the Talking Drum Studio (TDS), the primary civil society partner. IOM handled transhumance and migration management, overseeing aspects such as local security, border management, and tools for tracking cattle movement. FAO and WFP supervised income-generating activities, focusing on improving livelihoods. TDS played a crucial role in facilitating community dialogues.
The cooperative entities, Kaméréngna’ men’s group and the ‘Benkadi’ inter-ethnic group, from the Peuls and Koniankés communities in Tinkoro village, support joint agricultural work and incentivize collaboration between different groups that have not always seen eye to eye, facilitated by the “CoSocFront” project. Currently managing two rice fields spanning around two hectares each, these groups have received essential support, such as agricultural equipment and plowing oxen from the project, as well as trainings on social cohesion.
However, there were lingering concerns over potential damage by roaming oxen which brings with it the risk of conflict if left unaddressed. To tackle this issue, in the sub-prefecture of Gbackédou in Guinea - 95 km from Beyla’s town center and 45 km from C?te d'Ivoire - the project oversaw the construction of the inaugural cattle market. Boasting a capacity for 1,000 head, the cattle yard encompasses two enclosures, offices, and drinking troughs. It materialized in response to community requests to curb conflicts stemming from uncontrolled transhumance in this locality of approximately 30,000 inhabitants sharing the border with C?te d'Ivoire.
Beyond providing direct solutions to mitigate specific conflicts, the project provides a community framework aimed at comprehending the situation better, fostering dialogue, and preventing conflicts through improved joint planning, ultimately paving the way for enduring social cohesion in these regions.?
In the absence/breakdown of traditional dispute resolution mechanisms, and instead of relying on self-defense groups, herders and farmers are now seeking a peaceful solution, through the ‘prevention/complaint committee’ or ‘transhumance committee,’ set up by the PBF projects. This has ushered in a paradigm shift, offering representatives from farmer and herder communities, and local authorities a seat at the table. A 17-member community body, including five women, has emerged with a specific mandate: to proactively prevent and adeptly manage conflicts in the target villages. Since its inception in 2022, this particular committee in Tinkoro has successfully mediated and resolved 23 conflicts, and prevented several others.
Notably, even beyond Tinkoro, the approach is gaining traction. Togobala, situated nearly three kilometers from C?te d'Ivoire and 120 kilometers from Beyla, has instituted its own ‘claims committee’. Chaired by the local mayor, Lanciné Komara, this committee stands as a testament to the effectiveness of community-led conflict resolution mechanisms.
This model of conflict resolution, characterized by community-led committees, underscores a growing trend where local communities are reclaiming agency and embracing collaborative solutions, ultimately fostering greater harmony and understanding in the border regions.
In the Faranah prefecture of Guinea, the cross-border initiative "Consolidation of peace and strengthening of the livelihoods of farmers and livestock breeders" covers the villages of Djibendo, Tinterba and Héremankon. Within these communities, the project has supported income-generating activities, specifically in agriculture, livestock breeding, and fish farming, which constitute the residents’ main means of subsistence. The infusion of support in the form of seeds, fertilizers, and agricultural tools has markedly elevated community production, while strengthening social cohesion.
Within this cross-border region, weekly markets in Falaba, Sierra Leone, and Heremakonon, Guinea, once marred by assaults on women en route, have undergone a transformative shift. The construction of a joint police-customs border post, facilitated by the project, has helped to address security and protection concerns, providing an additional layer of safety at border crossings.
Integral to this joint management approach is the pivotal role played by women. Not only do they serve as conciliators between communities and victims of livestock damage, including farmers and livestock owners, but they also play a crucial part in regulating inter-community relations.
Across the 28 targeted cross-border villages spanning Guinea-C?te d'Ivoire and Guinea-Sierra Leone, these initiatives have helped set up 12 transhumance operational committees, addressing conflicts in an area spanning the three countries and reaching around 110,000 people.
Moreover, the two projects have supported 68 women's and youth farming groups through technical training, provision of agricultural inputs, and the securing of their agricultural perimeters. This strategic support shields them from potential conflicts arising from transhumance or disputes over land access, thereby alleviating community tensions. This effort includes 40 farming groups in Guinea, 13 in C?te d'Ivoire, and 15 in Sierra Leone, with about 30 members per farming group, the majority of whom are women.
The investment in these peacebuilding initiatives has not only engendered trust and unity among key stakeholders within local communities but has also spurred constructive dialogues between the governments of the involved states. Notably, 2022 and 2023 witnessed two high-level strategic meetings, convening the Guinean and Sierra Leonean governments in Freetown and Conakry, dedicated to the discourse on border governance. Similarly, a joint cross-border mission by the National Borders Commission of Guinea and C?te d’Ivoire culminated in a high-level meeting on border delimitation and demarcation in Abidjan in November 2023.
The recent visit by the Special Advisor to the transitional Prime Minister of Guinea, Mr. Fran?ois Abou Soumah, accompanied by the PBF Secretariat, to the border communities in November 2023 serves as a testament to the Guinean government's commitment to sustaining these gains. The government mission expressed satisfaction with the positive outcomes achieved and the ability of cross-border communities to rally around these projects.
