Community engagement and dialogue have been identified as the most strategic method to mitigate conflicts between herders and farmers in Nigeria.
According to the stakeholders, the resort to military involvement in resolving the farmer-herder crisis should only be when the conflict assumes a violent dimension where killings and fighting are recorded.
The stakeholders drawn from the media, Justice, Development and Peace Commission, academia identified this imperative at a dialogue and partnership series on herders-farmers relationship and media engagement, organised by Misereor Dialogue and Partnership Services (DPS), held in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.
They advocated for sustained involvement of traditional rulers, government officials, the media, community stakeholders when farmers-herders issues are brewing.
They condemned the first resort to the military and security agencies in times of crisis as one that would never bring about a lasting restoration of peace in conflict areas.
One of the facilitators at the workshop, Mr Umar Hassan said herders-farmers conflicts continued to be an issue because government failed to sustain support for dialogue and community engagements to resolve such conflicts at their brewing stage.
He identified government’s sustenance of community engagement, dialogue as crucial if farmers-herders conflict is to become a thing of the past in states like Benue and Plateau.
Head of Misereor DPS, Julia Krojer stressed the importance of dialogue to achieving peace in places where farmers-herders conflicts are recorded.
Media attendees at the workshop tasked the media on peace journalism, diligence and professionalism in reporting conflict from its brewing to actual stage.
In the interactive session, journalists identified lack of familiarity with conflict reporting, calling for increased sensitisation of journalists on peace journalism and conflict reporting.
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