By Adan Mohamed - Reporter
23 November 2025 - Residents of Merile in Banisa Subcounty have unanimously agreed to uphold peace and cohesion in the area following months of tension between the Garre and Degodia communities.
The peace initiative was organized to bridge existing gaps by strengthening community ownership of peace processes, promoting reconciliation, addressing unresolved grievances, enhancing early-warning mechanisms, and reinforcing cooperation between communities and government authorities.
During the engagement, residents held open dialogues on key challenges, including persistent mistrust and misinformation, limited awareness of recent peace agreements, weak coordination among local peace structures, delays in early-warning reporting, and competition over scarce resources such as grazing routes and water points.
Abdirizak Mukhtar, Director of Community Cohesion and Conflict Management in Mandera County, reaffirmed the county’s commitment to supporting community-driven peace initiatives and sustaining stability across various corridors in the region.
Banissa Deputy County Commissioner Hesbon Kayesi urged residents to work closely with security agencies to isolate individuals undermining peace in the subcounty.
“We must deal firmly with the few who threaten the stability and unity we have worked hard to restore,” he said.
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The corridor has endured repeated cycles of conflict, resulting in loss of life, displacement, and strained social cohesion.
While recent high-level peace efforts including the Garre–Degodia peace negotiations and the county-led peace caravan—have made notable progress, many of these gains have yet to fully reach grassroots communities within the Merile corridor.
The community baraza strengthened public understanding of existing Garre–Degodia peace resolutions and renewed commitments from elders, youth, and women to uphold peaceful dialogue and prevent future violence.
Moreover, the Merile Peace Baraza represents a significant step toward consolidating peace in one of Mandera County’s most sensitive corridors.
By taking dialogue and peace messaging directly to the grassroots, the initiative deepened trust, empowered community voices, and strengthened the foundation for lasting coexistence between the Garre and Degodia communities.
