Farmers and Herders in Bole Community of Yola South LGA, Adamawa State sign a Peace Accord
The conflict between herders and farmers in Nigeria isn’t new. However, the recent situation in Numan LGA has become especially alarming. The violence caused many deaths and destroyed properties. Observers have compared its scale to the Boko Haram crisis in Adamawa State.
Ongoing tensions between the two groups create a real risk that similar clashes could erupt elsewhere in the state. To prevent this, Murmushi People’s Development Foundation is launching a dialogue initiative in Bole community (Bole 1, 2, and 3). Livestock recently caused major damage to farmers’ farms. Many farmers are even considering abandoning farming next season if the situation does not improve.
The dialogue aims to bring herders and farmers together. They will talk, understand each other, and work out lasting solutions peacefully.
The intervention supports the EU-backed peace accord between farmers and herders in Bole community, Yola South LGA (European Union Emergency Trust Fund for Africa, 2020).
European Union Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF). (2020, January 10). Farmers and herders in Bole community, Yola South LGA, Adamawa State, sign peace accord. link↗︎
impact of bole dialogue 3 years after
It has been over three years since Murmushi People’s Development Foundation, facilitated a peace dialogue between farmers and herders in Bole Community, Yola South Local Government Area, Adamawa State, Nigeria.
The intervention began in September 2018, when tensions between the two groups escalated, with farmers facing an average of three attacks daily, some resulting in deaths. This pattern continued for five harvest seasons.
The situation in 2018 threatened to escalate further due to the farmer/herder conflict in Numan area, less than 100 km from Bole, which killed hundreds of people. The fear of escalation grew as displaced people from Numan settled in Bole. Tensions became so high that, one midnight, residents from Bole fled into Yola town, less than 3 km away. This prompted Murmushi to develop a concept note for the intervention, and the British Council approved its funding.
