Informality arguably remains the main source of employment and income for most participants in the cities of the Global South. It is rampant in cities along national borders and transport routes. This paper discusses the ‘normality of informality’, exploring the nexus between contraband, conflict and informal cross-border trade in a local–transnational space, drawing from Dire Dawa in eastern Ethiopia. Data were collected through key informants and in-depth interviews in 2015/2016 and 2019. This study also benefitted from secondary sources. Since its establishment in 1902, the city has become a major hub of commerce, industry, transportation, and cross-border trade. Combining the literature on the informal economy and cross-border trade and drawing on evidence from eastern Ethiopia, this study explores how trade is deeply embedded in local–transnational interactions through partnerships between state and non-state actors. This study argues that informal cross-border trade is a societal mode of provisioning with extensive livelihood opportunities that survive even through periods of conflict and repression. Thus, reducing the vulnerability of participants in informal cross-border trade could be a more effective policy target than eradicating them.

中文翻译：

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地方跨国空间中的“非正规性正常化”：埃塞俄比亚东部的走私、冲突和街头贸易

对于南半球城市的大多数参与者来说，非正规性可以说仍然是就业和收入的主要来源。它在国界和交通路线沿线的城市中十分猖獗。本文以埃塞俄比亚东部的德雷达瓦为背景，讨论了“非正规性的常态”，探讨了当地跨国空间中的走私、冲突和非正规跨境贸易之间的关系。数据是通过2015/2016年和2019年的主要知情人和深度访谈收集的。这项研究也受益于二手资料。自 1902 年建城以来，这座城市已成为商业、工业、交通和跨境贸易的主要枢纽。本研究结合非正规经济和跨境贸易的文献，并借鉴埃塞俄比亚东部的证据，探讨了贸易如何通过国家和非国家行为者之间的伙伴关系深深嵌入地方跨国互动中。本研究认为，非正式跨境贸易是一种提供广泛生计机会的社会模式，即使在冲突和镇压时期也能幸存。因此，减少非正式跨境贸易参与者的脆弱性可能是比根除他们更有效的政策目标。