A new assessment of Ethiopia’s border governance system has highlighted deep structural challenges across the country’s frontiers, including fragmented institutional coordination, widespread insecurity risks and persistent economic marginalisation of border communities.

The study, developed by the Institute of Foreign Affairs with support from the African Union Border programme, reviews border conditions across multiple corridors, including Moyale, Metema, Togo Wajaale, Gambella, Kurmuk and Galafi. It finds that Ethiopia’s borders remain largely porous, underdeveloped and characterised by weak state presence in many remote areas.

According to the assessment, border governance is shaped by multiple overlapping institutions that operate with limited coordination among customs, immigration, federal police and regional authorities. This fragmentation has contributed to gaps in enforcement, weak information sharing and inconsistent responses to cross-border challenges.

The report also notes that Ethiopia’s borderlands are exposed to a range of transnational security threats, including trafficking in small arms and light weapons, human trafficking, irregular migration, contraband trade and the movement of non-state armed groups. These risks are amplified by the long, difficult-to-monitor nature of many of the country’s borders.

Beyond security concerns, the assessment highlights significant socio-economic marginalisation in border areas. Many communities face limited access to roads, water, health services, and electricity, with informal cross-border trade often serving as their primary livelihood. However, such activity frequently operates outside formal regulatory frameworks, reinforcing vulnerability to illicit networks.

In several border regions, the study finds that traditional and community leadership structures continue to play a central role in governance, including dispute resolution and the regulation of mobility. These include, for example, Afar Sultanates and clan elders in border areas with Djibouti and Eritrea, Borana elders in the Moyale corridor, and Nuer and Anywaa leadership structures in Gambella, which often manage disputes and resource access in the absence of strong state presence. While influential, these systems remain weakly integrated into formal governance frameworks.

To address these challenges, the assessment outlines a set of reform directions centred on institutional coordination, infrastructure development and community engagement. It recommends the establishment of a specialised national border governance institution to improve policy coherence and inter-agency coordination.

It further calls for investment in modern border infrastructure and surveillance systems, including One-Stop Border Posts, biometric identification tools, CCTV networks, drone surveillance and improved communication systems for remote posts.

The report also emphasises the need to formalise informal cross-border trade through regulated trade zones, simplified licensing systems and the development of local value chains, particularly to support youth and women in border communities.

Regionally, the assessment underscores the need for stronger bilateral cooperation with neighbouring countries through joint border commissions, shared development initiatives and negotiated agreements to manage mobility and security challenges.

Overall, the study argues that Ethiopia’s border governance challenges are not solely security-related but are closely linked to structural development gaps. It frames borderlands as critical spaces where security, livelihoods and regional relations intersect, requiring more coordinated and multi-layered governance approaches.