March 2010
PREAMBLE.
The month of March 2010 remained calm and even fairer than the month of January 2010 in terms of conflicts. This was not to say that it was free from incidences here and there.
INCIDENCES.
There were two incidences in this month of March 2010 which did occur. One of it was in Nachola Baragoi (Samburu north district) while the other was in Pura Loosuk location (Samburu Central district). The two did not affect our area of operations and we fear for the spill over.The project didn’t receive the details of the Nachola but the Pura one left one Samburu herder dead and his G3 rifle was taken by the raiders who are believed to be Pokots. More than 100heads of cattle were also taken. Some negotiations were still on between the Samburu and the Pokots for a peaceful settlement of this issue. The negotiations were being facilitated by the Laikipia Peace Caravan team.
MEETINGS.
The month of March closed with some peaceful contacts between the Samburu and the Pokots in our area.
02/03/2010
There was a very successful peace meeting of Samburu and the Pokots at Louwa-oibor near Morijo. Peace issues were discussed and an other one was scheduled to take place at the same place (09/03/2010). Before the said date our staff met with Pokots at Siaramiti area still near Morijo on 06/03/2010.
During these meetings the Pokots were able to receive drugs from our Morijo dispensary, buy some foodstuffs from Morijo traders and sell their livestock to willing buyers from Samburu side.
09/03/2010
The arranged meeting aborted as Pokots had moved to Mallasao area following some heavy downpour in the area. Samburu went but bounced as the venue was empty. There was still some echo that the Pokots were still looking forward to a meeting but the rains were heavy at the moment.
13/03/2010.
Laikipia peace caravan convened a peace meeting for Samburu people in Ntashata area between Morijo and Porro areas. The attendance was good. The objective was to prepare to meet the pkots at Pura area on the following day. Our staffs attended the meeting and found it as an opportunity to meet our friends from the Pokots side.
14/03/2010
This meeting was to be attended by the Samburu and the Pokots in big numbers and the facilitation came from the Laikipia Peace Caravan. Over two thousand Samburu attended but the Pokots failed to turn up to attend the meeting. It was agreed that the Pokots Laikipia Peace Caravan members to go down the valley and arrange for a similar meeting in the Pokot community area to be attended by both communities. Pura incident occurred on 22nd March 2010 without any word from the Pokot side reaching us on the meetings arrangement.
NB. Pura meeting was attended by two members of parliament and that gave hope that the government was in support.
CHALLENGES
The project staff did attend several meetings without lunches. We hope to look into this internally.
CONCLUSION
We did receive the money for the month of March 2010 on 27th when in reality we expected the money for April 2010. The project looks forward to seeing this issue straightened and not to occur again. Conflicts had reduced in the area drastically ever since the project started its operations. Our prayer is for the same to continue.
Reported by George P. Lenaseyian
Project Leader.
The month of March 2010 remained calm and even fairer than the month of January 2010 in terms of conflicts. This was not to say that it was free from incidences here and there.
INCIDENCES.
There were two incidences in this month of March 2010 which did occur. One of it was in Nachola Baragoi (Samburu north district) while the other was in Pura Loosuk location (Samburu Central district). The two did not affect our area of operations and we fear for the spill over.The project didn’t receive the details of the Nachola but the Pura one left one Samburu herder dead and his G3 rifle was taken by the raiders who are believed to be Pokots. More than 100heads of cattle were also taken. Some negotiations were still on between the Samburu and the Pokots for a peaceful settlement of this issue. The negotiations were being facilitated by the Laikipia Peace Caravan team.
MEETINGS.
The month of March closed with some peaceful contacts between the Samburu and the Pokots in our area.
02/03/2010
There was a very successful peace meeting of Samburu and the Pokots at Louwa-oibor near Morijo. Peace issues were discussed and an other one was scheduled to take place at the same place (09/03/2010). Before the said date our staff met with Pokots at Siaramiti area still near Morijo on 06/03/2010.
During these meetings the Pokots were able to receive drugs from our Morijo dispensary, buy some foodstuffs from Morijo traders and sell their livestock to willing buyers from Samburu side.
09/03/2010
The arranged meeting aborted as Pokots had moved to Mallasao area following some heavy downpour in the area. Samburu went but bounced as the venue was empty. There was still some echo that the Pokots were still looking forward to a meeting but the rains were heavy at the moment.
13/03/2010.
Laikipia peace caravan convened a peace meeting for Samburu people in Ntashata area between Morijo and Porro areas. The attendance was good. The objective was to prepare to meet the pkots at Pura area on the following day. Our staffs attended the meeting and found it as an opportunity to meet our friends from the Pokots side.
14/03/2010
This meeting was to be attended by the Samburu and the Pokots in big numbers and the facilitation came from the Laikipia Peace Caravan. Over two thousand Samburu attended but the Pokots failed to turn up to attend the meeting. It was agreed that the Pokots Laikipia Peace Caravan members to go down the valley and arrange for a similar meeting in the Pokot community area to be attended by both communities. Pura incident occurred on 22nd March 2010 without any word from the Pokot side reaching us on the meetings arrangement.
NB. Pura meeting was attended by two members of parliament and that gave hope that the government was in support.
CHALLENGES
The project staff did attend several meetings without lunches. We hope to look into this internally.
- March 2010 activities allocations were given to us by the priest on 27/03/2010 and this affected our monthly activities.
- It had become difficult to interact with the Pokots as they had moved away from our area. We hope to get an opportunity to follow them.
- Project arranged to have a seminar with the Pokots morans but they had moved away. Though it had been shifted to Turkana morans who also had shifted to Nachola area near Baragoi. Distances and rains greatly affected our mobility.
CONCLUSION
We did receive the money for the month of March 2010 on 27th when in reality we expected the money for April 2010. The project looks forward to seeing this issue straightened and not to occur again. Conflicts had reduced in the area drastically ever since the project started its operations. Our prayer is for the same to continue.
Reported by George P. Lenaseyian
Project Leader.
