On 11 June 2026, the Somalia Pastoralist Parliamentary Group (SPPG), together with the Eastern and Southern Africa Pastoralist Network (ESAPN), PENHA Somalia, government representatives, development partners and pastoralist stakeholders, convened a high-level dialogue in Mogadishu to strengthen policy and legislative support for pastoralism in Somalia. The engagement highlighted the critical contribution of pastoralism to livelihoods, food security and the national economy, while drawing attention to key challenges including climate change, drought, land degradation, insecurity, weak land tenure systems, limited access to services and inadequate legal recognition of pastoral mobility.
Participants identified priority actions for Parliament, including developing comprehensive pastoral policies and legislation, protecting communal land and livestock corridors, strengthening natural resource governance, improving livestock health systems, and increasing investment in pastoral areas. A major outcome of the meeting was the approval and signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between SPPG, PENHA Somalia and ESAPN to advance pastoral-friendly policies, strengthen parliamentary engagement, promote sustainable rangeland management and enhance community resilience to climate change. The partnership marks an important step towards coordinated action to improve pastoral livelihoods and sustainable development in Somalia and the wider Horn of Africa.
