Military deployment contributing to escalation of farmers, herders conflict -NGO
Conflict between farmers and herders has become vicious in Nigeria due to government’s over reliance on the military in addressing conflicts, a rights group, Search for Common Ground, has said.
The group which has as its goal, working to end violent conflicts around the globe, also urged the federal government to take transformative steps in ending the incessant violent conflicts between farmers and herders in Plateau State.
Search for Common Ground observed that although the use of military by the Nigerian government to halt the killings of civilian lives is good, it however cautioned that the over dependence on the military force as a strategy in curbing other conflicts, “is contributing to a militarized society that is further continuing the vicious cycle of violence.”
The group’s Conflict Analysts, Ms Bukola Adelehin, who gave its position, urged the federal government to unravel the conflict between herders and farmers which it said has become very vicious in recent times, in its response to the death of 29 persons who were killed in the Bassa local government area of Plateau State.
She spoke at the completion of training for 106 Community Observers and Mobilizers, on Early Warning and Early Response Mechanism (EWER) being developed by the organisation, for Borno and Adamawa State on Wednesday, in Yola.
“The Nigerian government believes so much in military response. Military use is good, if it is to halt the killing of civilians. But the consequences are many. In Plateau State, the special task force is about 10 years old. However, in many of the cases ( attacks), even the communities complain that the military presence has caused more harm than good.
“The deployment of military, often gives the communities the leeway to want to have their own force. Thus, we see a lot of vigilante groups resulting in militarization of these communities that is continuing the vicious cycle of violence,” she said.
Ms Adelehin urged the government to make efforts to deploy structures that can transform and also bring reconciliation to the communities.
The military, who are often deployed to stop both parties in the conflict from fighting, according to her are not often equipped with conflict transformation skills, hence raising tensions instead of dousing it, especially when they do not abide by the rules of engagement.
The group’s Head of North East Office, Cleto Manjora, observed that 60 percent of the population do not trust formal security agencies can guarantee them security.
While Bernard Basason, EWER senior project coordinator, North East equalled called on the government to leverage on the EWER mechanism put in place in the region to halt potential conflicts from transforming into violent conflicts, as peace gradually returns to the troubled region.
Tom Garba, Yola
