Deris Wanaag: The Kenya-Somalia-Ethiopia Borderlands Project

Deris Wanaag, meaning ‘good neighbourliness’ in Somali, acknowledges that enhancing peace and stability, and improving social and economic conditions, can only be achieved through increasing collaboration between the three countries, respective local administrations, and between local communities in the borderlands.

The project focuses on strengthening the effectiveness of national responses to insecurity along the border, supporting local conflict resolution and management structures, and building individual and community resilience to the influence of violent extremist actors. Recognising the transnational nature of insecurity, the project supports ongoing coordination mechanisms between Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia, situating itself within regional developments and their impact at local level.

Gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) is integrated across all project engagements, tailored to accommodate the imbalance of GESI considerations in the border areas, as well as through deliberate interventions founded in an understanding of which individuals and groups are more vulnerable and disproportionately impacted by conflict.

The project is funded by the UK’s Integrated Security Fund (ISF) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

One of the project’s three objectives is to improve prevailing understanding of how conflict and violent actor dynamics and structures across the borderlands can inform effective policy and programming. To deliver on this objective, RUSI conducts regular context analysis, leads discrete research studies, produces policy briefs and holds learning events to inform government policy and to shape the geographic and thematic prioritisation of project interventions.

Deris Wanaag builds on RUSI’s extensive work to establish what works and what does not in reducing the threat presented by violent extremist actors. Recognising the limitations of narrow-focused P/CVE projects, RUSI encourages an approach that addresses both those most at risk and wider structural grievances. Previous research suggests the need to better integrate government, civil society and community-led responses. RUSI provides the evidence necessary to ensure that interventions are appropriate and have the best chance of leading to meaningful impact. Where this evidence does not yet exist, new research is conducted to provide guidance for the wider project and its stakeholders.

Based on the research findings and learning from interventions taken by the project and national authorities, the project aims to influence policy and action. In prioritising local understandings of the problem, the team encourages innovation, and promotes conflict sensitivity, ethics, transparency and sustainability.

While a proportion of the research and analysis for this project will be privately shared, we also plan to make project findings publicly available.

Amongst reports generated by Deris Wanaag are the following:

• Monthly Borderland Spotlight (context analysis reports)
• Regularly updated Political Economy and Conflict Analysis
• Policy Briefs
• Research Papers

The project’s research agenda is discussed on a quarterly basis with the donors. Research explores the intersections between masculinities, gender-based violence, conflict and extremism; gender and peace; and the climate-insecurity nexus.