Members of the Peace Architecture Dialogue (PAD), Search for Common Ground, has called on governments of the Middle belt region, Benue, Nasarawa and Plateau in particular, to adopt a multisectoral approach towards ending the herder-farmer conflicts in the region.
The stakeholders rising from a meeting recently insisted that there was an urgent need for a “multi-stakeholder and multi-sectoral approach that involves Government, Traditional Rulers, Religious Leaders, Civil Society Organisations, Ethno-cultural Organizations, women and youths Leaders from all conflicting groups in leading peace-building interventions and processes at community, Local Government, State, Regional and National Levels.
Their position was contained in a communique issued at the end of a two-day Middle Belt Regional Peace Architecture Dialogue (RPAD) meeting, which held via Google meet.
The stakeholders who pointed out that the call has become necessary expressed concerns that farmer and herder conflicts have assumed a new dimension of ethnicity and religion leading to recurring incidents of reprisal attacks between the various groups.
According to them, “there exists an inconsistent documentation system of migrants particularly at rural areas especially where security agencies do not have sufficient presence hence posing a risk to the citizens generally.
They noted that while there is influx of herders from neighbouring states, which has contributed to incessant incidents of farmers and herders attacks and conflicts, they also observed that whenever there are attacks, perpetrators are being generalized to be armed herdsmen whereas there are criminals amongst both Herders and Farmers.
They, therefore, emphasized the need for “increased collaboration between leaders of Farmers and Herders towards joint identification of criminal gangs who perpetrate violence amongst both groups and facilitate their arrests by security agencies
The meeting, which deliberated on the roles of the PAD at State and Regional Level in transforming farmers and herder’s conflicts, among other issues, observed that as a result of the effects of climate change, population increase and change in lifestyle of herders, there has been inadequate feed for livestock hence the conflicts between farmers and herders for available farmland.
“That there has been inadequate education on human rights for citizens at all levels leading to infringement on the rights of farmers and herders hence the escalation of farmer and herders conflicts.
“The inadequate sensitization on the impact of drug abuse and inadequate trauma centers for rehabilitation of victims of farmers and herder conflicts who usually are suffering from psychological issues thus making it difficult for the parties to forgive each other and let go of existing grievances.
“That development interventions have also contributed largely to the reduction in available land for grazing hence farmers were no longer as accommodative as they used to be and that relevant Government Agencies has not lived up to its responsibilities in performing its duties with regards to implementation of existing laws put in place to prevent and mitigate farmer and herder conflicts.”
It also observed that UN Agencies particularly UNDP has begun the process of engaging a legal drafter for developing the bills for establishing the State Peace Agencies in Benue and Nasarawa States, thus creating windows for collaboration with the State PADs.
Stakeholders observed that there is the huge gap on utilization of information technology that can allow for effective and efficient early warning and early response system in managing farmer and herders conflict, just as they noted that dialogues has been more effective in managing farmer and herder conflicts than enactment of laws which usually are perceived negatively in terms of purpose and intent.
READ ALSO: Herder-Farmer/Communal Conflicts: Benue To Consider Establishing Security Outfit
They, therefore, recommended multi-stakeholder and multi-sectoral approaches and increased collaboration between Leaders of Farmers and Herders towards joint mitigation of the conflicts.
They recommended integration of dialogue and mediation mechanisms for effective transformation of farmer-herder conflicts as well as sensitization for compliance with existing laws for preventing and mitigating farmer and herders conflicts in the States and the Region.
“There should be robust sensitization for addressing farmer and herder conflicts at all stages of enactment of laws for the inputs of the relevant stakeholders before it is passed into law for implementation.
“There should be more collaborative efforts in the translation and sensitization of existing laws to increase understanding among citizens in order to mitigate and prevent farmer and herder conflicts across Benue, Nasarawa and Plateau States
“The State Peace Architecture Dialogue should collaborate with the relevant State Boundary Commissions towards influencing decisions and policies around the boundary issues.
“The State Peace Architecture Dialogues in Nasarawa and Benue should collaborate with the UN Agencies such as the UNDP and other organisations who are currently working on the enactment of the State Peace Commission laws towards harnessing joint efforts for better results.
“The State Peace Architecture Dialogues should collaborate with other organisations working on implementation of existing state laws towards contributing to resolving farmer and herder conflicts beyond the LGAs that Search is currently working on in the States.
“The Regional Committee should work with the media in the three States to create awareness on existing laws and develop measures to de-escalate violent conflict between herders and farmers communities wherever they occur, using print, visual and audio-visual media accordingly.
“The Regional Committee and State PADs is to collaborate with the Ministry of Information and media to raise awareness on opportunities available for addressing sexual and gender based violence (SGBV) and as well advocate for the strengthening of humanitarian response to address SGBV in the affected states.
Next Edition reports that the communique was co-signed by the Country Director, Search for Common Ground in Nigeria, Sher Ali Nawaz, the Director of Programmes, Plateau Peace Building Agency,Godwin Atekpa Okoko, Chairman Benue State PAD, Dagil Iember and Co-Chairman Nasarawa State PAD, Muhammad Ogoshi.
“Transforming Farmer and Herders Conflicts and Promoting Freedom of Religions and Beliefs in Nigeria’s Middle Belt” is a 24 months project implemented by Search for Common Ground (Search) in Nigeria with funding support from the Kingdom of Netherlands from September 2018 to August 2020. Search has supported the convening and engagements of the State Peace Architecture Dialogues in Benue, Nasarawa and Plateau States and the Middle Belt Regional Peace Architecture Dialogue with stakeholders across the three Project States.
Search for Common Ground convened the virtual meeting with delegates from the State level Peace Architecture Dialogue of Benue and Nasarawa States, Plateau Peace Building Agency and other Stakeholders from Plateau State with members drawn from the Ministries, Departments and Agencies, Security Agencies, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, (MACBAN), All Farmers Association of Nigeria, (AFAN), Jaámatu Nasir Islam, (JNI), Christian Association of Nigeria, (CAN), amongst others.
