APD implemented a five year USAID funded regional conflict transformation program awarded to Pact in partnership with Mercy Corps in April 2014. The program seeks to contribute to stability in the Horn of Africa region, by strengthening the horizontal and vertical linkages within & between local, national, and regional conflict management actors. PEACE III builds upon PEACE II and PEACE I, previous USAID funded conflict programs, by focusing and addressing the diverse drivers of conflict in the Horn of Africa along the Kenya/Somalia, Kenya/Ethiopia, Kenya/South Sudan and Kenya/Uganda cross borders.
The objective of APD’s project was to strengthen peace building through local community initiatives that help prevent, mitigate and respond to conflicts, violent extremism and radicalization in Garissa/Wajir /Lower juba cross border. The project was cross border in nature and covered the fivecorridors;Liboi/Dhobley/Hamey/Hosingo/DiifKenya/DiifSomalia/Amuma/Waldena/Tulabarwaqo/Dadajabula.
Activities by APD were dedicated to resolving conflict through events, activities, trainings to build peace and reconciliation and countering violent extremism among key actors. These training were meant to empower influential religious leaders to implement CVE strategies and tactics, educating women to recognize early signs of radicalization to violence in their families and communities.
APD supported initiatives aimed at improving relationships between the youth and security agents through joint sporting events to impart useful life’s lessons in preventing violence and radicalization and to inculcate a culture of tolerance and improve youth interactions and engagement.Targeted life skills and entrepreneurial training were provided for youth at risk of radicalization to impart knowledge and business skills to enable them access economic and employment opportunities.
Religious leaders and moderate voices were trained on prevention of violent extremism including the development of capacities of faith leaders to correct misconceptions and misinterpretations of religious texts. This facilitated reaching out to the youth at large to counter the fake narratives peddled by the militia groups. To enhance cooperation APD provided a platform for networking and linkages among religious leaders to create safe spaces in their mosques, Madarasa and Quranic schools (Dugsi) to counter propaganda and appealing messages of violent extremists (VE) groups.
In order to promote people centered policing and improve information sharing, APD supported a series of events that sought to improve the relationship between security agents and community members at large such activities comprised of quarterly community conversation on trends, emerging issues related to CVE, CVE actors networking forums, women, CPUs, youth, chiefs, BMS and teachers training on countering violent extremism and de-radicalization.
Scenarios have changed following Peace 111 programming and intervention whereby coordination and communications efforts among and between local government authorities greatly improved, consequently, constant communication and intelligence sharing has been established which is very imperative and has greatly aided the maintenance of security in cross border towns. Furthermore, the roles and responsibilities of the different peace and security actors was emphasized and highlighted which contributed to the collaboration within and across the border. This helped the communities to eradicate mistrust and share intelligence easily thus, reducing and mitigating planned attacks.

Youth leader, Ali Mohamud Abdi from Dhobley presenting his thoughts.

Acting OCS Mr. John Oyamo opening the meeting in Liboi
Deputy OCS Liboi making Opening remarks
KRA station manager Garissa Mr.Ali H. Mohamed
DCC MR HARUN K. NDUNGU sharing about the challenges at the border