Ending Inter-Communal Violence in Cross River State: A Call for Dialogue, Justice, and Reconciliation

Ending Inter-Communal Violence in Cross River State: A Call for Dialogue, Justice, and Reconciliation:

In 2022, I wrote this article out of deep concern for the rising incidences of inter-communal violence in Cross River State. Nearly four years later, recent happenings in Yakurr Local Government Area have made the central theme of this essay even more relevant. That is why I have decided to dust it off from my archives and republish it.

I am deeply worried by the spate of inter-communal crises that have rocked and shocked the foundation of our dear Cross River State. These conflicts have resulted in economic disinvestment, capital flight, job losses, unemployment, and worsening poverty among already disempowered communities devastated by grinding poverty.

The local government areas affected include Yakurr, Ikom, Biase, Obubra, Yala, Abi, and others. These conflicts are destructive, distracting, and outrageous. They damage the image of our State, cause deaths, destroy private and public property, displace populations, and breed disharmony. They also fuel alienation, mutual distrust, hatred, antagonism, poverty, and disharmony between affected communities, while eroding interpersonal relations.

These crises often take the form of land disputes between neighboring communities or chieftaincy disputes between contending parties. They are a spanner in the wheel of our progress. As a minority group in Nigeria, already disadvantaged economically and politically, we cannot afford to waste scarce resources on senseless wars that retard our development.

It is natural that misunderstandings, quarrels, and feuds occur in families and communities. However, they must be promptly resolved before they escalate into festering crises. Our ancestors faced land and chieftaincy disputes too, but they settled them amicably through dialogue, logic, common sense, and natural jurisprudence. They never allowed disagreements to degenerate into war.

Why then, in the 21st century, do we prefer violence over peaceful resolution, despite being more educated and enlightened than our forebears? Africans are not naturally expansionist or imperialistic. Expansionism, imperialism, and acquisitive tendencies are alien concepts to our culture. My heart bleeds when I see us adopting destructive foreign habits that undermine our communal harmony.

The Way Forward:
– Judicial Commission of Inquiry: Government should establish a commission of eminent persons in law, history, anthropology, ethnography, mediation, negotiation, reconciliation, conflict, and peace studies to investigate and report on the causes of these crises.
– Implementation of White Papers: Past reports and recommendations must be dusted off, implemented, and enforced. Indicted persons or institutions should face investigation and prosecution.
– Treat Violence as Terrorism: Inter-communal violence should henceforth be prosecuted under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
– Governor’s Intervention: Lands under protracted disputes should be acquired under Section 28 of the Land Use Act, 2004, and converted into agricultural estates after public hearings.
– Small Arms Amnesty: Government should encourage the retrieval of small arms through compensation.
– Boundary Demarcation: The State Boundary Commission should collaborate with the National Boundary Commission to clearly demarcate boundaries.
– Empowered Traditional Rulers: Traditional institutions should be strengthened to promptly and decisively resolve disputes.
– Truth and Reconciliation Committee: Such a committee should be established to heal old wounds and rebuild fractured communities.

Conclusion:
Inter-communal violence is a cancer eating away at the soul of Cross River State. It destroys lives, property, and opportunities for development. The time has come for government, traditional rulers, and communities to embrace dialogue, reconciliation, and justice. Only through collective commitment to peace can we secure the future of our people and restore the dignity of our State.