African Pastoralism

Describes the resilience of African traditional farming practices in resisting the imposition of Western development schemes

Although many countries in Africa are devastated by poverty and famine, and are desperately in need of aid, it is generally recognised that programmes of aid and development in Africa are imposed upon local communities with little regard for their traditional values and way of life.

This book provides a fresh look at these intricate issues, and explores the way in which farming and traditional pastoral livelihoods have strengthened rather than weakened in the face of government reforms.

It reveals how traditional institutions and resource management strategies within local African communities continue to endure, in spite of the enormous pressure that development programs assert, as pastoralists resolve to confront coercive state policies designed to privilege the interests of the wealthy and powerful elite.

The book introduces thirteen case studies from Botswana, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda and various other parts of the African continent.

Introduction by M. A. Mohamed Salih
1. Towards Security, Stability and Sustainability Oriented Strategies of Development in Eastern Africa by J.B. Opschoor
2. Sustainable Development and Resource Conflicts in Botswana by M.B.K. Darkoh and J.E. Mbaiwa
3. Participation and Governance in the Development of Borana, Southern Ethiopia by Johan Helland
4. Conflict Management, Resolution and Institutions Among the Karrayu and their Neighbours by Ayelew Gebre
6. Ranchers and Pastoralists: Restructuring of Government Ranching, Uganda by Frank Emmanuel Muhereza
8. Resource Competition and Conflict: Herder-Farmer or Pastoralism-Agriculture? by Mustafa Babiker
9. Resource Conflicts among the Afar of Northeast Ethiopia by Getachew Kassa
10. Livelihood and Resource Competition, Sudan by Abdel Ghaffar Mohamed Ahmed
11. Pastoral Commercialisation: On Caloric Terms of Trade and Related Issues by Ton Dietz, Abdirizak A. Nunow, Adano W. Roba and Fred Zaal
12. Immediate Problems: A View From A Distance by P.T.W. Baxter
13. Changing Gender Roles and Pastoral Adaptation In Omdurman, Sudan by Samia El Hadi El Nagar
14. Research-Led Policy Deliberation in Eritrea and Somalia: Searching to Overcome Institutional Gaps by Martin Doornbos
Notes on Contributors
Index