Additional Context: Search for Common Ground began operating its program in Yelwata in 2021. Through a grant from the U.S. Department of State, Search for Common Ground trained community members to watch for warning signs of violence and report them to a newly established platform that would trigger a preventive response. That might mean installing police officers in an area that had seen an uptick in violence, or holding a mediation with influential community members if tensions between herder and farmer communities seemed to escalate. Staff from Search for Common Ground were also stationed in target communities to interpret early warning signs and ensure the right players were involved in the response.

“It’s hard to say this [attack] would have not happened if the project had been there,” said Bryan Weiner, a program manager with Search for Common Ground. “But we would have had a lot more resources to be able to help them escalate this information, call together some emergency meetings, and support the response to prevent this from happening.”

Source: Devex