Farmers and herders in six rural communities across Bokkos and Riyom Local Government Areas of Plateau State have signed 25 peace agreements aimed at restoring peace and rebuilding trust after years of deadly conflict.
The agreements were reached by men and women drawn from the communities of Sha, Bum and Sopp, where recurrent clashes have claimed many lives and led to the destruction of property.
The peace accords followed a series of dialogue and reconciliation engagements facilitated by the Institute for Integrated Transitions (IFIT), as part of efforts to strengthen social cohesion and find lasting solutions to violence in fragile, conflict-affected rural communities.
A participant and senior district head from Bokkos Local Government Area, Lazaros David, described the peace process as timely and critical, given the scale of challenges faced by the communities.
According to him, the organisers succeeded in bringing the communities together at the grassroots level through sustained engagement.
“They followed the programme time after time to ensure its success. They identified our problems and discussed them together with us,” he said.
David expressed confidence that the agreements would be implemented, noting that community leaders would use platforms such as churches and mosques to reinforce the peace process.
“Where you often see your people, we’ll make sure this peace holds,” he added.
Another participant, Chiroma Haruna Idris, said the initiative would go a long way in restoring peace and stability between farming and herding communities.
“Our coming here has helped us understand the challenges, and we’re confident that what we’ve learned will assist us in addressing our common concerns peacefully without further disruption and confusion,” Idris said, adding that the signed agreements would help resolve lingering issues between the groups.
