CAN Condemn Farmers /Herders Conflict In Plateau Communities

Yakubu Busari

 

The Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Northern zone, Rev. Yakubu Pam has condemned violence between Muslim herders, and Christian farmers where over 1000 people in the middle belt were brutally killed in the clashes in 2018 describing it as unfortunate.

 

Pam stated this during the 3 day-Conference held in a bid to resolving the lingering crises.

 

Meanwhile, the following recommendations have been reached after the three days Conference of an interfaith perspective of resolving the farmers /herders conflict in Plateau State.

 

The proliferation of illicit SALWS and there, as well as armed violence, poses grave dangers to peace, security, and development. The menace is real in Plateau state with relatively common trends and dynamics, in terms of the militarization of the civilian population and communities in all the communities.

 

There is a connection between socioeconomic challenges such as poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, and the sustenance of violence, intolerance, anger, unforgiveness, and other organized crimes.

 

Participants observed the high prevalence of suspicion and stereotype in fueling the culture of violence within communities in the state as sustained by social media and other means.

 

That religious leaders and institutions have not been actively involved in information gathering and dissemination in the fight against the culture of violence.

 

That the culture of violence is being sustained by the incidents of cattle rustling, perceived land grabbing, destruction of farmlands isolated killings, grazing by underage, kidnapping and illegal mounting of roadblocks by non-state actors thereby trapping innocent citizens in the crossfire of violent conflict.

 

That potential of women and youth in conflict prevention, resolution, management and peace building have not been effectively harnessed in managing the conflict.

 

Participants also observed that some security and law enforcement agencies have been partisan in the process of curbing the menace of violent attacks, violent conflict, and criminality across communities in the state.

 

There is a high level of politicization of ethnicity and religion by the political elites which sustained the incidences of violence and complicated the trends, dynamic, and efforts at stemming the conflict.

 

There is a need for the establishment of the joint Agro veterinary market at the community, state, zonal and national levels for conflict prevention, enhancing cooperation and peace promotion.

 

There is a need for the information and activation of the interfaith platform at community, LGA and state level.

 

There is a need for the state to investigate, prosecute and punish the perpetrators of the heinous crimes that are being perpetrated during the violent conflict in the state.

 

There is a need to curb the menace of drug abuses and the proliferation of small arms and light weapons within communities in the state.