The “Walking life of NURA DIDA HALEKE”

Born in 1957 in the pastoralist community of Southeastern Liben, East Borena Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia, Nura Dida was raised in a loving family. From a young age, he embodied strength and leadership. He served in the local security force for over five years, defending his homeland from the invasion of Ziad Barre’s regime from Somalia. He also served as a local administrator, providing essential services to his community. Nura’s life was marked by resilience and a deep commitment to justice and development. He mobilized 71 passionate pastoralist community members from across Oromia—Borena, Guji, Bale, Hararghe, and East Showa—to establish Ethiopia’s first community-based pastoralist association.
In June 2006, this effort culminated in the founding of the Oromia Pastoralist Association (OPA), now known as the Association of Pastoralist Community for Change (APCfC). Under the visionary leadership of Haji Nura Dida Halake, the Association of Pastoralist Community for Change (APCfC) emerged as a powerful platform for advocacy, awareness, and meaningful engagement with decision-makers at both regional and national levels. His tireless efforts led to the recognition of pastoralism not only as a rational way of life but also as a legitimate economic activity. This recognition helped curb the forceful eviction of pastoralist communities from their lands without compensation.

Nura championed the inclusion of Indigenous knowledge in policymaking, particularly in areas such as peacebuilding, natural resource management, and climate change adaptation. His leadership was instrumental in the establishment of dedicated government structures for pastoralist development—both at the regional state level and within federal institutions—ensuring that pastoralist issues received focused attention.
One of his landmark achievements was the design and implementation of a pastoralist land use policy developed through active community participation. He also spearheaded initiatives to improve infrastructure in remote pastoralist areas, significantly enhancing access to essential services. Under his guidance, the Ethiopian government officially recognized Ethiopian Pastoralist Day, a milestone in acknowledging the contributions of pastoralist communities.

Further, Nura facilitated policy innovations such as livestock insurance and the use of livestock as collateral, empowering pastoralists economically. He also introduced mobile education and health services tailored to the unique needs of pastoralist populations—serving both humans and animals—thereby bridging critical service gaps in hard-to-reach areas.
Nura dedicated over 15 years to chairing APCfC, formerly OPA, mobilizing communities from diverse ethnic groups affected by conflict. He mediated and supported peace among Oromo (Borena, Guji, Gabra, Arsi, Kareyu), Somali, Kore, Konso, Minjar (Amhara), and Afar communities.

One notable example was his role in resolving conflict among the Gabra, Guji, and Borana in Southern Ethiopia. As documented by the Pastoralist Communication Initiative in 2009: “We met representatives of each group at a place called Hallona in Arero Woreda to resolve the conflict between them, our first attempts at peace making. We resolved the conflict with the participation of the three groups. The peacemaking was achieved through the customary Gada institution. The Gada leaders (Abbaa Gadaa) made decisions according to the traditional system of conflict resolution. These were their decisions: to punish a murderer with a fine of thirty head of cattle; to punish a thief who steals a cow with a fine of five head of cattle. Then we formed a peace committee of representatives of the three groups to ensure they followed up and monitored the peace keeping. The committee meets from time to time to discuss peace issues and to resolve conflicts in their area.”
This statement was made by Nura during a 2009 community gathering in Moyale town, attended by over 500 pastoralists and government representatives from across Ethiopia and northern Kenya.
Nura consistently advocated for the recognition of pastoralism as a legitimate and valuable way of life:
“Pastoralism needs to be recognized as a way of life that is viable and contributes to the economy. Our livestock is our way of life but we need access to an organized market so we can be sustainable.” — The Fate of Pastoralists Children in Africa – Foreign Policy Blogs

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He also emphasized the value of Indigenous knowledge:
“We know we have knowledge,” said Nura. “We are first working to get fast recognition. When people realize the knowledge we have, they will value it, and they will value us. We use the opportunity when we speak to speak the right thing. We speak differently from other people.” — Source: University of Bath Thesis.
His legacy continues to shine through his impactful contribution to individual and community development Nura’s sudden death in 2021 had left a vacuum no one can fill for some including family, work colleagues, his friends and the larger pastoralist community across Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa. The leadership in APCfC continues to be guided by Nura’s spirit and continued to serve the community and carry forward his vision.
APCfC is currently working to collect and preserve the life and legacy of Nura Dida through written and visual documentation. A resource mobilization campaign will soon be launched to support this effort.