INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION IQM HAS LAUNCH COMMUNITY RECONCILIATION PROJECT IOM
By Safiya Abdulrahim Dabban
The International Organization for Migration, IOM, has urged communities residing in conflict -ravaged areas in the North-west geopolitical zone of Nigeria to embrace dialogue as a pathway to peace in their communities.
The IOM Chief of Mission in Nigeria, Mr. Laurent De Boeck, made the call in Katsina at the launch of a project on Conflict Mitigation and Community Reconciliation in North-west zone.
He noted that project which will run for eighteen months in the pilot Local Government Areas of Jibia, Batsari, Danmusa, and Kankara will bring together farmers and pastoral communities and other aggrieved parties to agree on ways that will foster peace among them.
Mr De Boeck pointed out that the four Local Government Areas were selected considering the high rate of displacement recorded in them due to incessant attacks by armed bandits.
He explained that the project seeks to introduce community-based solutions by bringing together members of various communities to rebuild trust and goodwill through dialogue.
“This program in Katsina is based on the successes recorded in previous programs carried out in other regions
“Our focus is on bringing people of communities together to have a dialogue, to reconcile and rebuild trust in order to continue to live in peace.
“These are community problems that should have community-based solutions, we don’t want the solutions to come from outside, ours is just to guide the process.
“Once we identify the problem in each community, we bring the people together to dialogue, and where support is needed we bring the support.
“For example if the problem is access to resources and water, we will dig a well and fix the pumps to supply water to serve the farmers, the herders, the animals and everybody.
“We want to inspire community-led solutions with the involvement of the various levels of government, particularly the state and local governments as well as youths and women”, Mr De Boeck noted.
In their different remarks, the representatives of farmers and pastoralists at the meeting, Alhaji Sani Danjari and Malam Kabir Musa pledged to mobilize their people to see to the success of the project.
In a speech, the Katsina State Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Security, Alhaji Nasiru Danmusa expressed appreciation to the international partners and pledged the state government’s commitment to resettle all communities displaced by armed banditry in the state.
Meanwhile, at a meeting with the IOM, Mercy Corps and other partners in the project, the Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Radda gave an assurance that the state government will support the implementation of the project.
He said the state government in collaboration with security agencies will review the approach to fighting armed banditry and kidnapping with a view to bringing a decisive end to the twin-menace in the state.
Our correspondent reports that the program was launched in partnership with Mercy Corps, Center for Democracy and Development and the state and local governments with support from the European Union.