For years, pastoralists in northern Senegal had been at each other’s throats. They tussled over prime pasture for their livestock, particularly as the rains repeatedly failed and desert vegetation shriveled. They competed for space and time at watering holes. In 2017, after a herder was murdered and tit-for-tat animal killings began to proliferate, AVSF, an agricultural NGO with a local presence, decided enough was enough.

It recruited a representative from each village in the area and established a “pastoral unit,” now one of 25 across Senegal. And through that forum the local leaders were able to agree on maximum herd numbers, their placement, and compensation for farmers in the event of damage to their fields.

This is a