U.S. shares FG’s objective of reducing violence in Middle belt – USAID

Dr Beatrice Reaud, the Democracy Officer, Peace and Democratic Team, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), says the U.S. shares Nigeria’s objective of reducing violence in the middle belt.

Reaud, said this on Thursday in Abuja at the closing ceremony of Engaging Communities for Peace in Nigeria (ECPN) project.

“Peace and reconciliation lies at the heart of USAID’s global approach to promoting stability and security in conflict-affected areas.

“The U.S. and Nigeria share the objective of reducing violence in the middle belt states by peacefully preventing and resolving farmer-pastoralists conflicts.

“In pursuit of that goal, USAID collaborated to develop ECPN, which since 2015 had worked to provide farmers and pastoralists the tools to peacefully manage disputes,” she said.

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She said this was done by building community trust, economic interdependence and conflict monitoring.

“Through training on conflict management and interest-based negotiation, conflict prevention forums and the creation of community-led peace committee.

“ECPN has helped farmer and herder communities that were once in conflict resolve their disputes and work together for a common good.

“A heightened understanding of mediation and negotiation brought more than 600 disputes in the communities where we have worked-over grazing routes, seasonal access to water points.

“Also worked over, crop damage, cutting down of economic trees, water pollution by animals, and commerce-to peaceful resolution,” she said

She said with concern that persistent rural violence stemming from farmer-pastoralist conflict in the Middle belt had one of the most serious threats to Nigeria’s future.

According to her, it has serious implications for the Nigeria’s long term peace and stability

“Over the past five years, this violence has contributed to death of an estimated 7000 Nigerians and has cost the economy upwards of 12 billion dollars a year.

“To the families of those who have lost loved ones, I extend my condolences on behalf the entire America community.

“Conflict between farmers and herders results in destruction of crops, blocked access to water points and degradation of water quality-factors.

“It has equally hindered the livelihoods of crop farmers and livestock herder and drive the conflict between them,” she said.

Dairus Radcliffe from Mercy Corps, an international NGO working to reduce violence in Nigeria said that the programme was one of the most successful ones embarked on by the organisation

“We are pleased to welcome you to celebrate the successful conclusion of the engaging communities for peace in Nigeria project.

“It is one of the most successful peace building programmes Mercy Corps has implemented in and has all the right ingredients – strong team, good programme implementation, research and learning,” Radcliffe said

According to the official, the successful in large part due to partnership with pastoral resort who played such a critical role and to USAID who were also an amazing partner (and donor) throughout.

“Mercy Corps approach to peace building has always been to build the capacity of people and institutions to recognise and respond to conflict while also addressing the root causes of conflicts.

“Prevented conflict by increasing social cohesion  and addressing the underline drivers, peacefully resolved and managed conflicts by building and strengthening leaders and institutions to mitigate tensions and disputes,” the official said.

The traditional leader, His Royal Majesty Prof. James Ayatse, Tor Tiv V, and Chairman of the Benue State Council of Chiefs, told the gathering that times had changed since he grew up in a farming community, where herders and farmers were known to one another and never experienced crises between the communities.

“We must look beyond the help that Mercy Corps through USAID has given us,” he said.

“We are grateful for the assistance, but its ideas must be repackaged an implemented under another name.”

“If we don’t change our ways, these problems will continue to hurt us, and it is the poor and downtrodden who suffer most.

“If you engage in fighting, even if you win, you lose something,” he said.