Reconciliation talks between warring clans in Mandera on course, NCIC assures

Mandera County assembly speaker Abdikadir Shiekh Hassan and other leaders hold hands during the launch of a peace building project launched by NCIC and InterPeace. PHOTO: MATE TONGOLA

KENYA: Frequent inter-clan clashes experienced in Mandera County could soon be a thing of the past if a peace building project launched by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) in partnership with InterPeace, a non-governmental organisation, will be fully implemented.

The pilot project launched at the Mandera County hall and attended by representatives from warring clans; Garre, Degodia, Murulle and Corner tribe, discussed various issues that sparked a heated debate that lasted for close to five hours.

Speakers from various clans called for the four major communities living in Mandera to be treated equally including in the distribution of the county’s leadership positions as was resolved through talks led by NCIC in 2014 at the height of inter-clan clashes.?

Speaking at the side-lines of the launch, InterPeace's Regional Director for Eastern and Central Africa, Johan Svensson termed the project as timely, considering the forth coming general elections.

"We chose Mandera because it is a boarder county and this is a programme that is carried out by the Mandera people themselves”.

On his part, NCIC Commissioner Prof. Gitile Naituli assured the communities that their concerns were being addressed adding that reconciliation talks between the warring parties were on course.