Perceived Causes and Intervention Options for Sustainable Resolution of Conflicts Among Cattle Herdsmen and Arable Crop Farmers in Ebonyi North Zone, Ebonyi State, Nigeria

This study was on perceived causes and intervention options for sustainable resolution of conflicts among cattle herdsmen and arable crop farmers in Ebonyi North Zone, Ebonyi State, Nigeria. A combination of purposive and simple random sampling techniques was employed in the selection of 172 respondents (160 farmers and 12 herdsmen). Primary data were sourced through field survey with the aid of a well-structured questionnaire and interview schedule. Descriptive statistics were employed in data analysis. The result of data analysis showed that destruction of the farmers crops by cattle was the greatest source of conflict (89.4 %) followed by contamination of sources of potable water (66.3 %). Other activities of herdsmen that caused conflict as perceived by the crop farmers were destruction of fences, destruction of smaller livestock such as incubating fowls, waste dropping on playgrounds and compaction of the farmers farmland. Based on the herdsmen perception, beating of cattle by farmers (100 %) was the greatest source of conflict, followed by killing and injuring of cattle (87.5 %). However, raping of Fulani girls or women was not experienced by the Fulani community in the area. Other sources were abusing and cursing of Fulani herdsmen and blocking of roads by crop farmers. Identified consensus intervention options for sustainable peaceful coexistence among the farmers and Fulani herdsmen include encouraging Fulani herdsmen to learn the custom of their host community, compensation of aggrieved farmers and herders, punishment of the offenders, educating farmers and herdsmen on their inter-dependence and institution of as well as regular meeting of herdsmen-community leaders committee/forum. The study concluded that institution of stakeholders forum among the two conflicting groups, compensation of the aggrieved herders or farmers and punishment of the offenders could be intervention options in conflict resolution. Recommendations such as restricting herdsmen to their own communities, provision of grazing reserves, as well as restricting herdsmen to particular locations were made, among others.