The Vice Chief of the Defence Forces (VCDF), Lieutenant General John Omenda, officially opened the 2024 African Borderlands Research Network (ABORNE) Annual Conference today, 11th September 2024, at the Humanitarian Peace Support School (HPSS) in Nairobi.
ABORNE, a leading platform for interdisciplinary research on African borders and borderlands, was founded in Edinburgh in 2007. The event, co-hosted by the UNDP Africa Borderlands Centre (ABC) and the International Peace Support Training Centre (IPSTC), attracts scholars and policymakers annually from across Africa and Europe.
In his remarks, Lt. Gen. Omenda emphasized the conference’s role in addressing current global challenges and contributing to sustainable development. He highlighted the Kenya Defence Forces’ commitment to peace, security, and development research, affirming that the conference would foster collaborations in empirical research, education, and training to enhance interoperability in Kenya, Africa, and beyond.
This year’s theme, “Resilience and Social Cohesion in African Borderlands: The Role of Agropastoralist Mobility, Labour Diversification, Peace and Security in Regional Integration,” will focus on overcoming challenges in African borderlands while promoting regional integration.
Brigadier Joyce Sitienei, Director of IPSTC, stressed the importance of information sharing in understanding borderland complexities and contributing to global peace and security. She commended the UNDP for its crucial role in planning the event, underscoring its dedication to peace, security, and development.
Dr. Zenyu Ummer, Director of the UNDP Resilience Hub for Africa, appreciated the collaboration between UNDP, ABORNE, and IPSTC. He called for close cooperation between policymakers and academics to address the nuanced realities of African borderland communities and find evidence-based solutions.
The three-day event brings together participants from various organizations and experts in the field to share experiences and discuss strategies for building resilience in borderland regions.
Other attendees included General Officer Commanding Eastern Command, Major General Lucas Kutto, Director of the Universal Research and Training Institute, Dr. Willie Eselebor, and dignitaries from UNDP and IPSTC.
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