Ethio-Kenya Joint Bord
er Commission meeting opened in Adama City, Ethiopia, on Tuesday (February 12). The meeting focused on intra-border security, stemming illegal weapons flow and human trafficking, enhancing border trade for the benefit of the border communities, and cooperation on health and education as well as strengthening people-to-people ties between the communities on both sides of the border.
Mrs. Teyiba Hassen, the Deputy Chief Administrator of Ethiopia’s Oromia Regional State noted that the relationship between Ethiopia and Kenya was longstanding and one based on solid foundations. The peoples of the two countries, she emphasized, were tied together by blood, culture and tradition. She also underlined the importance of their joint efforts to ensure security along the border as well as improve the socio-economic wellbeing of border communities. Moffat Kangi, leading the Kenyan delegation, said the bilateral ties and longstanding cooperation between Ethiopia and Kenya was exemplary for the countries in the region. The two countries, he said, were working together to ensure that their common borders were corridors of peace and prosperity.
The meeting also assessed implementation of the various agreements reached at the previous (31st) session of the Joint Border Commission meeting, held in Mombasa, Kenya, in 2016.
The 32nd Ethio-kenya Joint Border Commission meeting was concluded with upholding common understandings to further strengthen their all-rounded cooperation along their common borders. With the view to dealing with peace and security concerns along their common borders, the two sides have agreed to establish a “Peace Committee”, which comprises respective institutions of the two countries, administration units of border communities as well as community elders from both sides.
