Warring Benue communities sign peace accord

Some communities in Benue State have signed a peace accord to resolve their differences after more than a decade of conflicts.

The communities include Ologba and Egba in Agatu Local Government Area (LGA) and the Tivs and Jukuns in Fiidi, Makurdi LGA.

They embraced peace on Sunday in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, in a process facilitated by the International Alert in partnership with the Benue State Peace Commission and local community-based organisations as part of the ‘Powering Peace through Climate Action Project’.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the conflict between the communities was over ownership of natural resources like fish ponds and farmlands.

Paul Nyulaku-Bemshima, the Country Director of International Alert, said the organisation had been working with marginalised and divided communities to increase access to knowledge and trust through dialogue and cooperation.

Mr Nyulaku-Bemshima said the move was needed to end the lingering crisis in Benue Stare communities over natural resources, exacerbated by climate change effects and ethnicity.

He said, “We are excited about the peace agreement signing ceremony between Tivs and Jukuns in Fiidi and Ogba, Ologba, and Ekaida in Agatu.

“These communities have undergone a long process of dialogue and negotiations on conflict issues.

“The conflicts are fundamentally over land, water, and fish ponds.

“We ensured participatory processes, and they have developed local peace and adaptation plans to address climate change impacts, build social cohesion, and increase income.”

Sunday Jimoh, the Project Manager at International Alert, said the empowerment projects included training and establishing briquette-making factories, providing industrial-level fish kiln machines, and installing solar-powered industrial boreholes.

Joseph Har, the Special Adviser on Security to the Governor of Benue State, commended International Alert and urged the communities to maintain the agreement.

“I am going to ensure that these items are handed over to the chairman, who is the chief security officer of the local government, to take care of these things to ensure that they are not tampered with.

“We are happy that this has happened during our time, we are having peace at this magnitude during our time and we can’t trade it for anything,” he said.

Josephine Habba, the Director General of the Benue State Commission for Peace and Reconciliation, said the peace agreement marked a significant milestone towards lasting peace.

“In prioritising livelihood for peace, we should recognise that it is an endorsement for the development and promotion of peaceful coexistence among communities.

“The project encourages entrepreneurship with a focus on peaceful values and conflict resolution. This is a successful climate action in promoting peace,’’ she said

Community members, including Ada Agatu Godwin Onah, Zaki Gwaza, and Toundo Japhet, applauded International Alert for resolving their crisis and empowering them with entrepreneurship skills and equipment.

They acknowledged that before the projects, they could not relate well or cross each other’s communities, but now peace had been restored. (NAN)