Informal Cross-Border Trade and Security Concerns in the IGAD Region: An Interrogation of the Policy Framework

This paper interrogates the IGAD ICBT-CBSG Policy (2018) to explore the intricate nexus between Informal Cross-Border Trade (ICBT) and Cross-Border Security Governance (CBSG) in the IGAD region. It employs an analytical framework that integrates human and national security paradigms of cross-border governance. The practice of security in the IGAD region has traditionally followed a state-centric lens, prioritizing national sovereignty and border integrity. However, this approach often overlooks the human-centric aspects crucial for sustainable security within the region’s borderlands as they are dominated largely by informalities of a people trying to eke a living in and out of the border points. Consequently, the paper argues for a comprehensive security framework that merges national and human security, advocating for a security governance approach to manage the complex relationship between trade and security in the region’s borders. It also highlights the necessity of regional cooperation and policy harmonization to address the challenges posed by globalization, which exacerbate security threats and economic disparities. The proposed reform policy framework emphasizes the importance of including borderland communities in policy formulation and implementation, ensuring that their socio-economic realities are reflected in regional security strategies. In the final analysis the contribution of the present paper lies in its call for a broader understanding of ICBT, encompassing both small-scale and organized trade, to effectively address the security and economic challenges in the IGAD region.