Kenya and her neighbour Ethiopia signed a $196 million five-year deal that will spur development and end conflict along their border on Monday.
President Uhuru Kenyatta and Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn witnessed Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Minister Amina Mohamed and her Ethiopian counterpart Tedros Adhanom sign the agreement.
“This is a historic a function. The presence of the Prime Minister is a reminder of Ethiopia’s commitment to deeper relationship between the countries and the people,” President Kenyatta said.
Communities living along the border will be helped to improve their living standards through trade under the deal dubbed “Marsabit County/Kenya-Borana Zone/Ethiopia Integrated Cross-border and Area-based Programme”.
The programme is focused on developing the area’s untapped energy and mining resources and meat and livestock trade to create jobs for the youth.
The United Nations agencies sponsored programme also seeks to improve access to health, education, build social cohesion and trust between the communities.
The objective of the plan to transform the region includes increasing opportunities for trade, investment and tourism. It also includes improvement of infrastructure and the facilitation of cross-border movement of people.
President Kenyatta later received Mr Desalegn before the two unveiled a commemorative plague marking a peace declaration between Marsabit County and Ethiopia’s Borana region.
Part of the cross-border conflicts between communities living along the border occurred in the unoccupied territory.
In the 2013 Turbi massacre, 200 people were killed, 100 houses torched and 54,000 people displaced from their homes.
Mr Desalegn said there was hope for peace in the area as the two governments are committed to develop the region.
“My government is committed to address historical marginalisation of this region and steer it from poverty and support cross border programmes for sustainable peace,” he said.
He also said Ethiopia attaches importance to cooperation with Kenya and is determined to see the joint efforts succeed.
“The leadership of Kenya has for decades demonstrated its faith in Ethiopia and we are building on that foundation, which was laid down by our forefathers,” he said.
The Prime Minister said Ethiopia will place a lot of emphasis on ensuring the effort to bring development to the border region succeeds to create prosperity for the local community.
