Addis Ababa, September 29, 2026 (FMC) — Ethiopia and Kenya are deepening people-to-people engagement, with communities from South Ethiopia and Kenya’s Turkana region convening in Arba Minch to strengthen longstanding social ties and explore new avenues for peace, shared prosperity and regional cooperation.
The forum brings together senior officials from the South Ethiopia Regional State and Turkana County to discuss ways of consolidating sustainable peace along the two countries’ border and expanding the mutual benefits that can emerge from stronger community-to-community relations.
Opening the discussion, Speaker of the South Ethiopia Regional State Council Alemayehu Baudi said the dialogue would make a significant contribution to strengthening the unity of the brotherly peoples living along the Ethiopia-Kenya border. He highlighted the shared cultural values of the two communities and said the forum would further strengthen their longstanding interaction.
Charles Lokiyoto, Speaker of Turkana County in Lodwar, said stronger people-to-people friendship could play an important role in preventing conflicts along the border. He also underscored the longstanding friendship between Ethiopia and Kenya, noting that dialogue could help the two sides work toward the joint management of natural resources and ensure mutual benefits for their communities.
The gathering places people-to-people relations at the centre of a broader Ethiopia-Kenya partnership, recognizing that sustainable peace and development in border areas are closely linked to the strength of relationships among the communities themselves.
For communities whose social and cultural connections extend across an international boundary, deeper engagement offers a pathway from shared heritage to practical cooperation—strengthening trust, supporting peaceful coexistence and creating opportunities for shared development.
The forum thus adds a community-centred dimension to Ethiopia-Kenya relations, demonstrating how stronger human connections can reinforce bilateral friendship while contributing to peace, connectivity and greater regional integration.
Senior government officials from both the South Ethiopia Regional State and Turkana County are participating in the forum, according to the South Ethiopia Regional State Communication Bureau.