Key players in Plateau State reveal plan to resolve clashes between farmers and pastoralists

Stakeholders in Plateau State have unveiled a groundbreaking roadmap aimed at resolving the long-standing conflicts between farmers and herders in the state, which was launched on Tuesday.

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This development comes on the heels of a deadly attack by gunmen on Tuesday night, who stormed Rim Village in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State, resulting in the deaths of two people.

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The state has witnessed an alarming level of violence over the past two decades, with estimates suggesting that between 11,000 to 12,000 people have lost their lives, while over 420 communities have been attacked, and thousands of residents displaced.

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The violence, which is primarily fueled by the conflicts between farmers and herders, has led to widespread destruction and a significant loss of livelihoods, with a Fact-Finding Committee attributing the violence to a mix of factors, including competition for land, historical grievances, and ethnic mistrust.

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Speaking at the launch of the roadmap, which took place at the corporate headquarters of the Plateau State Peace Building Agency in Jos, the state capital, the Director General of the Agency, Dr Julie Sanda, represented by the Director of Programmes, Nantip Joseph, hailed the launch as a significant step towards promoting peace in the region.

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She emphasized the need to address the recurring tensions between farmers and herders, which have had a devastating impact on many communities in the state, with the focus being on finding a solution to the issues that have dominated the narrative in Plateau State and other affected states.

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According to the Director General, the organisation, HiiL, can secure funding from SPRiNG to implement this component, which is why the document is being launched with a particular focus on preventing farmer-herder conflicts, and sustaining the conversation to find a solution to the issues.

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Deputy Team Leader for SPRiNG, Priscilla Ankut, noted that the guideline is part of efforts to improve relationships between farmers and pastoralists, not just in Plateau but also in Kaduna, Benue, and Katsina states, with the programme working to promote peace in the community and help them develop resilience to climate change.

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Based on research, Ankut said that some of the stressors occurring in communities, leading to the resort to violence, are related to the use of natural resources, including land, and that there is significant tension between farmers and herders, which often goes unaddressed.

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The contribution by SPRiNG, implemented by HiiL, aims to improve relationships between farmers and pastoralist groups on the Plateau, and is not limited to Plateau, as it is also being implemented in Kaduna, Benue, and Katsina states, where tensions around the use of natural resources negatively impact communities.

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The guideline is intended to equip community actors with the tools to prevent and resolve conflicts related to natural resources, especially land, with the hope that it will lead to reduced violence in communities and fair, just, and transparent management of disputes for all parties.

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The Country Representative of HiiL, Ijeoma Nwafor, explained that the guideline combines global best practices with localized research, involving stakeholders from farmers and herders to traditional and religious leaders, with a unique approach that recognizes that grammar is not the solution to the world’s problems.

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Nwafor emphasized the importance of focusing on human experiences and communication in conflict resolution, saying that conflicts often arise from the stories people have been told from birth, and that the document tries to bring people back to the human effect of these conflicts.

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The guideline, developed with support from the Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HiiL) and funded by the UK Department for International Development, focuses on accessible and affordable solutions to address land-related disputes, with the aim of equipping community actors with tools to prevent and resolve land-related conflicts.

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Meanwhile, gunmen stormed Rim Village in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State on Tuesday night, killing two people, with some villagers confirming the attack and reporting that two others were injured during the incident.

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According to one of the villagers, John Sati, the attackers invaded the Rim community around 10:30 pm, firing gunshots indiscriminately before fleeing into the surrounding bushes, with the two injured victims rushed to a nearby hospital for medical attention.

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The National Publicity Secretary of the Berom Youth Movement, Rwang Tengwong, also confirmed the attack, lamenting the situation and describing it as another sad episode in the recurring insecurity plaguing parts of Riyom and other communities in Plateau State.

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Tengwong called on security agencies to intensify patrols and bring the perpetrators to justice, as efforts to reach the spokesman for the Plateau Police command, SP Alfred Alabo, to comment on the incident were unsuccessful, with his phone indicating that it was switched off.