A non-governmental organisation (NGO), Mercy Corps has engaged two communities of Danmusa and Kankara local government areas of Katsina State in dialogue to resolve the recurring farmers-herders’ conflicts and other related issues.
The communities were exposed to dialogue, conflict resolution, and transitional justice as mechanisms for the prevention and mitigation of conflicts.
At the event, the representative of the NGO, Magdalene Musa, said the dialogue is aimed at promoting local-driven peace initiatives through interest-based negotiation to end the lingering farmers-herders crisis.
She added that the initiative was part of the 18 months comprehensive pilot programme being implemented in four insecurity prone local government areas of Batsari, Danmusa, Jibia, and Kankara in Katsina.
Musa emphasised that the event was organised by the Conflict Mitigation and Community Reconciliation in Northwest Nigeria (CMCR-NW) in collaboration with the International Organisation for Migration ( IOM) and the Centre for Democracy and Development ( CDD) funded by the European Union ( EU) to reduce community violence, strengthen peace building processes and support the implementation of political and community responses to violence.
“Different stakeholders have brainstormed and designed concrete steps towards preventing and mitigating tensions and violence during the upcoming 2024 farming season,” Musa said.
In his response, the director of personnel management of the council, Alhaji Sa’ad Safana, commended the effort, saying that it would encourage them to strengthen the capacity of their committee on conflict resolution.
