The Concrete Outcome of Somaliland Conservancy FPIC Process
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- by Abdirizak Warsame December 15, 2024

The Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) has been actively guiding the application and practice of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) within the Geed Deeble Conservancy, which comprises 17 villages. This initiative has involved collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders, including national and regional government authorities, local communities, and international partners.
CCF supported the development of specific agreements and understandings among the communities, enabling them to undertake planned activities with the support of international donors and the Government of Somaliland. Consecutive meetings were held in all villages to clarify the principles of FPIC and ensure compliance with national regulations, local customs, and international FPIC standards. These meetings served to complement earlier initiatives endorsed by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MOECC), the Ministry of Interior, and other relevant stakeholders engaged in conservancy-related work. A grant from Rainforest Trust began operationalisim of the protected area, conservancy and forest reserve.

The selection of the conservancy’s location was based on the availability of natural resources, including land, water, wildlife, forests, and other ecological services essential to the communities. During the FPIC process, all community committees were consulted after initial workshops held in Hargeisa, Somaliland’s capital, where national and regional government representatives participated fully. These consultations reinforced foundations laid in earlier meetings, affirming community representatives’ acceptance of and willingness to participate in the conservancy initiative and its management plan.
In recent discussions held at the conservancy site, cohesion and mutual understanding were achieved between the communities and stakeholders engaged in the FPIC process. These meetings marked the early engagement phase, focusing on relationship building, legal requirements, and establishing mechanisms for consensus-building and optional non-binding dispute resolution. This approach empowered communities to actively participate in decision-making about their conservancy activities, ensuring access to accurate, transparent, and timely information.
During the FPIC process, each village identified and selected representatives including women, youth, and elders to negotiate and sign the agreement. Three representatives from each village participated, ensuring inclusive representation. The signed agreement outlined the terms and conditions of engagement, addressing opportunities, restrictions, equity, rights, triggers, remediation for potential harms, and conflict resolution mechanisms.
As for the principle itself, FPIC is protected by international human rights law and affirms that “all peoples have the right to self-determination, and linked to the right to self-determination is the right to freely pursue their economic, social, and cultural development.”
Commenting on the milestone, Fiesta Warinwa, Director of Conservation Programs at the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) and a CCF partner in building conservancies in the Horn of Africa, stated:
“The signing of the FPIC agreement by the communities for the establishment of a conservancy is a significant milestone for conservation in Somaliland. It reflects the communities’ strong commitment to conservation, their trust and confidence in the Cheetah Conservation Fund’s field team, who have supported them on this journey for nearly three years, and their ongoing dedication to making the conservancy fully operational.”
Get to know Fiesta by watching an interview with her on CheetahTV.
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