User:Haleyfeuerman/Fulani extremism

Background

Fulani extremism refers to violence by an ethnic group, the Fulani (also known as Fula or Fulbe) against neighboring farmers. The Fulani are largely nomadic/semi-nomadic of approximately 20 million individuals who live in the semi-arid climate of West Africa (Global terrorism index). It is important to note that not all Fulani are extremists - the extremists are a subset of this larger ethnic group. They are a pastoralist group and their livelihood depends on herding cattle, and occasionally goats and sheep, across grazing routes (Abbass). Due to population growth and desertification, Fulani nomads have had to move southward to secure more fertile lands, resulting in competition for grazing routes with farmers.

The battle for fertile farming land and grazing routes has resulted in a significant amount of violence.These crises occur throughout  West Africa, primarily in Nigeria, but also in Mali, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Central African Republic.

History of Conflict in Nigeria

While the specific details of Fulani migration into NIgeria are largely unknown, it is generally assumed that the Fulani moved into Northern Nigeria from the Senegambia region in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries (Roosevelet,Abassa). Since this initial migration, the Fulani have come into conflict with farmers in Nigeria. Northern Nigeria is considered a “melting pot” of different cultural and ethnic groups and as a result the Fulani in this region have incited violence with a diversity of ethnic groups. In total, there are 33 known groups involved in the farmer-pastoralist conflict in the country. The Fulani are the largest and most well-known group(Global terrorism index). The number of Fulani in Nigeria is estimated to be around 12 million (Okello).

Over the course of several centuries, these conflicts have fluctuated in intensity based on a variety of social, political, economic, and environmental factors (Abassa). Specifically, droughts, erratic rainfall, and the degradation of land in Nigeria have intensified the conflict (Global terrorism Index).

Prominent Attacks

The Fulani extremists are not consolidated under the rule of top-down leadership. Instead, attacks are operated on an individual, smaller-scale level. This is atypical of terrorist groups (Global terrorism index). As a result, individual incidents often result in small numbers of fatalities and it is difficult to maintain a clear record.

Statistics

Between the years 2010 and 2016, Fulani extremists were responsible for 466 terrorist attacks and 3,068 deaths across several West-African countries.(Global Terrorism Index).

Between the years 2012 and 2016, Fulani extremists were responsible for the deaths of 2,500 people in Nigeria specifically (Global Terrorism Index).

Federal Action

The government has taken several actions that have impacted this conflict.

Nigerian Grazing Reserve Act of 1964: In 1964, the government passed this act, hoping that it would encourage the Fulani to adopt sedentary lifestyles and graze on these reserved lands (olekko).

Land Use Act of 1978:In 1978, the government implemented the Land Use Act. This piece of legislation empowered the federal government to allocate land to different groups. Additionally, indigenous groups were granted the right to claim ownership of ancestral territories. The passage of the Land Use Act exacerbated the Fulani-farmer conflict, as the nomadic Fulani were largely excluded from the right to claim ownership of ancestral land (Roosevelt).

Nigerian Agricultural Policy of 1988: In an attempt to resolve the issues presented by the Land Use Act, the government has demarcated specific grazing reserves with the Nigerian Agricultural Policy. This law set aside a minimum 10% of the total territory of the country to be reserved for grazing. To date, this mandate has not been enforced to its fullest capacity (Olleko).

Implications

Reduced Crop Yield: The constant conflict between the pastoralists and the farmers has had a negative effect on farmer output. Fulani extremists indiscriminately destroy crops, negatively affecting agricultural production (Ofem).

Displacement of Farmers: Farmers are displaced by this conflict, exacerbating poverty and disorder in the agricultural regions. (Ofem).

Abbass, Isah Mohammed. “No Retreat No Surrender Conflict for Survival Between Fulani Pastoralists and Farmers in Northern Nigeria.” European Scientific Journal, 8(1), (2014): 331-346. Web. 20 Oct. 2020. https://doi.org/10.19044/esj.2012.v8n1p%p

Glew, R H, R A Bhanji, & D J VanderJagt. “Effects of Displacement Resulting from Ethnic/religious Conflict on the Growth and Body Composition of Fulani Children in Northern Nigeria.” Journal of Tropical Pediatrics, 49(5), (2003): 279–285. Web. 16 Sep. 2020.

“Global Terrorism Index 2017.” Visions of Humanity, Institute for Economics and Peace, 2017, visionofhumanity.org/app/uploads/2017/11/Global-Terrorism-Index-2017.pdf.

Idehen, Roosevelt. O. & Ikuru, Ubelejit R. “Migration and the Emerging Security Challenges in West Africa: Case of Fulani Herders/Sedentary Farmers Conflicts in Nigeria.” International Journal of Arts and Humanities Ethiopia, 8 (4), (2019): 128–137. Web. 17 Sep. 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ijah.v8i4.12

Okello, Anna L., et al. "Identifying Motivators for State-Pastoralist Dialogue: Exploring the Relationships between Livestock Services, Self-Organisation and Conflict in Nigeria's Pastoralist Fulani." Pastoralism, 4(1), (2014): 1-14. ProQuest. Web. 16 Sep. 2020. DOI:10.1186/s13570-014-0012-7

Ofem, Ofem & Inyang, Bassey. “Livelihood and Conflict Dimension among Crop Farmers and Fulani Herdsmen in Yakurr Region of Cross River State.” Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 5 (8), (2014): 512-519. Web. 16 Sep. 2020. DOI:10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n8p512