Policy framework for Pastoralism in Africa

to pasture and water resources are often inspired by Islamic laws. Typically, pastoral traditiondictates that land is a communal resource.Although conflict between pastoralists and sedentary farmers is commonly reported, there are alsonumerous examples of peaceful co-existence and mutually beneficial economic exchanges. Forexample, pastoral communities based in the Sahelian zone can practice transhumance which isbased on peace agreements between their traditional rulers and the traditional rulers of crop farmers.This practice can be seen in the common exploitation of pasture land extending from the wetplains of the Logone River in the far north region of Cameroon to Lake Lere in Chad.The social assets of pastoralist groups also include the indigenous social support systems which tovarying degrees, are intended to assist poorer members of the community. These systems may targethouseholds with relative few animals or those which have suddenly lost animals due to disease,flooding or other causes. Female-headed households may also be targeted. These local systems arebased on loans or gifts of livestock or livestock products, and for Muslims, the giving of almsincludes richer households donating livestock to poorer households.In constrast to these strong aspects of pastoralist culture and social organization are other beliefsand practices which hinder development and the integration of pastoralists into wider society. Someof these features are not restricted only to pastoralists in Africa, but are also evident in variousnon-pastoral areas. A major problem is the low status of women in pastoral societies, as evidentfrom statistics on the health and education of pastoral girls and women. Some communities maintainthe tradition of marrying girls of very young age, often to elderly men, with girls sometimesdestined to their future husbands at birth. The educations of girls can be a taboo and women haveno inheritance right, and are isolated from decision-making concerning them directly or indirectly.When women do have the right to own or manage livestock, it can be restricted to sheep and goats,whereas men keep control of more valuable camels and cattle. Female genital mutilation is practicedin some pastoralist communities, including extreme forms of this practice, with resulting lifelonghealth implications for women. These health problems are exacerbated by poor access to qualityhealthcare, including maternal healthcare.Another serious concern in pastoralist areas is conflict. The causes of conflict can include poorgovernance, but other types of conflict relate to cultural norms among some pastoral groups suchas livestock raiding, or the forced abduction of children from other groups. Historically, manypastoralists have taken occupation of their land by force, and use force to access resources duringdifficult periods. At times violent raiding can be condoned or even organized by the same traditionalleaders who then seek peace using traditional negotiations.Currently, many pastoral communities are undergoing profound socio-economic and culturaltransformations in the face of modernizing African administrations, with varying degree of success.Generally, government interventions include promoting integration of pastoralists into the mainstream through sedentarization, mixed marriages and involvement in political processes. As inother African communities, the social organization and social support systems of pastoralist groupsare not static. In some areas traditional leadership faces pressures from government administrationsor disaffected youths, while local safety nets can be weakened when overall livestock holdings arereduced due to major disease outbreaks, drought or conflict.Securing, Protecting and Improving the Lives, Livelihoods and Rights of Pastoralist Communities19