Somalilandsun: Having endured decades of neglect, marginalisation and turmoil, people living in Mandera county, Kenya, are trapped in a brutal cycle of violence, with national and regional implications. Mandera residents live in fear of al-Shabaab attacks and heavy-handed Kenyan security forces’ operations, while clan-related tensions and sexual and gender-based violence continue to impact people’s lives.
This report tells the stories of the people caught up in what one person described to us as “a war that hurts us twice”. It investigates the challenges that underpin insecurity in Mandera, and how responses by authorities, civil society and donors are affecting people living in the country, and their hopes to end painful legacies of violence, exclusion and forced displacement.
The study finds reasons for both modest hope and serious concern for the future of Mandera, with limited progress in police reform and cross-border dialogues that are undermined by abusive counter-terrorism operations that frequently harm civilians. At a time when the risks of forceful counter-terror approaches are gaining attention, there is an opportunity for donors and government bodies to play a more constructive and collaborative role in ending violence in Mandera.
