Gombe Communities Adopt Dialogue Against Farmers/Herders’ Clashes

In Kwadon, a farming assemblage successful the Yamaltu Deba section authorities country of Gombe State, elders, information officers, farmers and herders precocious gathered nether the aforesaid roof. Their ngo was simple, but urgent. It was to find bid without picking up weapons oregon bloodshed.

For years, similar successful astir Nigerian states, recurring clashes betwixt farmers and herders person near respective scars connected families crossed Gombe State, with destroyed crops, wounds and sometimes lives chopped short.

This time, the authorities authorities is leaning connected what it calls a non-kinetic strategy, done dialogue, dialog and shared work alternatively than confrontation.

The officials said the initiative, championed by Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya and supported by the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES) Project, is designed to easiness tensions earlier they spill into violence.

At the stakeholders’ gathering successful Kwadon, the authorities coordinator of L-PRES, represented by the societal safeguard officer, Naomi Mwalin Abdu, emphasised that preventive dialog remains astatine the bosom of the L-PRES project.

For her, the governor’s imaginativeness is to support lives and besides to warrant nutrient information by ensuring that herders and farmers tin coexist peacefully.

The divisional constabulary serviceman who chaired the gathering cautioned against resorting to unit erstwhile disputes arise.

He warned that blocking cattle routes oregon h2o paths, arsenic immoderate farmers person done, creates flashpoints for conflict.

Likewise, assemblage leaders accused of selling grazing lands were told to desist oregon look ineligible consequences.

The accepted leaders successful attendance acknowledged that some sides stock blasted for the recurring disputes.

The Sarkin Shanu of Kwadon and the District Head of Zanbuk pledged their enactment for government-led solutions, portion the Sarkin Fulani of Kwadon pleaded for harmless transition for herders and reassurance that their livelihoods would not beryllium trampled upon. For galore participants, the gathering was timely and much than conscionable argumentation talk.

Abdu Isah, a husbandman successful Gombe, commending the initiative, said helium was bushed of losing his crops to herders’ cattle but wanted peace. A herder, Shehu Ali, likewise expressed alleviation that the authorities was listening, saying, “We privation to determination and graze with our animals without fear.”

The stakeholders agreed connected respective cardinal steps, including re-surveying and re-mapping of cattle routes, stronger assemblage acquisition astir the resolutions reached, and sanctions for leaders complicit successful onshore income that endanger peace.

The gathering ended with optimism. Farmers and herders shook hands and promised to enactment with section authorities.