Kenya and Ethiopia recently agreed to boost security along their shared border following deadly cross-border raids in May. In an email interview, Edmond J. Keller, chair of the Department of Political Science at the University of California, Los Angeles,* discussed Kenya-Ethiopia border security.
WPR: What are the main areas of concern with regard to the Ethiopia-Kenya border?
Edmond J. Keller: The border between Ethiopia and Kenya is more than 500 miles long and rests in very remote and underdeveloped parts of both countries. On the Kenya side, elements of the Turkana cattle herders are the population; on the Ethiopia side, the dominant group -- also pastoralist -- is Dassanech. Both groups value access to grazing lands and watering holes. Cattle rustling and conflicts over grazing lands are common, and they are particularly likely during periods of drought.