Herders/farmers conflicts: Buhari to declare ECOWAS conference open

THE federal government, in collaboration with the ECOWAS Commission, will host a sub-regional ministerial meeting to come up with solutions to the challenges posed by the recurrent conflicts between herders and farmers in the region.

President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to declare the Ministerial Conference open on 26th April 2018.

Minister of Interior, Lieutenant Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (Red) made this known on Monday in Abuja ahead of the meeting, which will involve the countries in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) sub-region.

A statement said by the Director, Press and Public Relations of the Ministry, Mr Hassan Dodo, said the meeting would take place on Thursday, 26th April 2018

 at ECOWAS Commission, Abuja, and would be preceded by governmental experts meeting from 24th to 25th April 2018.

Dambazau explained that the meeting was informed by the need to adopt a coordinated regional approach in addressing the escalation of cases of conflicts between herders and farmers, and the attendant killings, disruption of socio-economic activities, and displacement of citizens in almost all the countries in the region.

The Minister said each ECOWAS member state would be represented by two delegates comprising the Ministers in charge of Internal Security, and Agriculture.