Ethiopia and Kenya are preparing a new round of joint border inspections as part of strengthening their trade-led diplomatic ties and a means to ease tensions among communities on either side.
A joint border commission is expected to start inspection work by September, Kenyan Ministry of Internal Security confirmed, according to The East African newspaper.
The inspection team will recommend reconstruction of boundary pillars that have worn out and are potential conflict triggers in the highly volatile border points inhabited by armed pastoralists.
The inspection follows a Kenya/Ethiopia joint Technical Boundary Committee meeting held in Nairobi that recommended the inspection of the Kenya-Ethiopia international boundary and reconstruction of boundary pillars to be undertaken in four phases starting September.
Ethiopia is among the key partners in the development of the Lamu Port Project and associated infrastructure that will include a railway like, new roads and an oil pipeline.
Kenya is also upgrading the linking Isiolo to the shared border town of Mandera, meaning that Nairobi and Addis Ababa will be connected by a tarmacked road.
The new projects are setting the stage for the opening up of the two countries with a market potential of over 120m million people.
(The Daily Monitor)