Bayelsa State Conflict Management Alliance (BSCMA)

The INDS is the convenor and acts as the Secretariat of this initiative, an umbrella platform for traditional and community leaders, security organisations, civil society organisations, farmers, herders and other stakeholders for addressing security and related issues arising from climate change etc in Bayelsa State. Below are some of the activities;

Organized 13 Stakeholders Dialogue Meetings

The INDS in collaboration with the Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme (NSRP) conveyed stakeholders meetings in Yenagoa the state capital atleast four (4) times annually.These meetings afforded the platform the opportunity to identify and discuss current and emerging conflict issues in the state. The issues discussed ranges from intra and inter communal conflicts arising from land disputes, chieftaincy tussle, claims over natural resources ownership etc. Other security related issues discussed on such meetings includes substance abuse, cultism and how they affect the general security and peace in the state. Far reaching decisions are made during such meetings.In addition, stakeholders analyze and plan engagement strategy on identified conflict issues based on certain factors. Participants during such dialogue meetings includes all security agencies in the state, the state government represented by the office of the special adviser to the executive governor of on security matters, the traditional institutions represented by the chairman of the traditional rulers council, faith based organizations like the supreme council for Islamic affairs and the Pentecostal fellowship of Nigeria, the Bayelsa NGO Forum (BANGOF), community based organizations and selected community representatives on conflict affected areas.

Peremabiri Intra Communal Conflict

The Peremabiri intra-communal conflict in Southern Ijaw LGA of Bayelsa State lasted over a decade which underminded the peaceful co-existence of the community and thereby bringing untold hardship on the people due to loss of livelihood, destruction of properties and the displacement of persons. Several lives were lost in the process as mistrust, suspicion, fear, hatred and loss of community life characterized the indigenous people of Peremabiri community. Several intervention efforts in resolving and mitigating the conflict over the years proved abortive, largely due to the fact that the positions and interest of the parties/ actors were not adequately considered; rather, it was a more powerful third party imposition of decisions and repressive actions taken during the crisis, which helped to escalate the conflict situation. The conflict went through several stages with factors either helping to escalate or de-escalate the conflict. Each stage of the conflict left its negative footprint on the community. Before the intervention activities, a major faction of the community fled their homes in January, 2016 to seek refuge in the Bayelsa State Sports Complex, Ovom, Yenagoa, after a violent conflict erupted between the two existence factions. The INDS/NSRP platform carried out series of activities ranging from meetings with the various factions in the conflict, dialogue meetings with all community members, trainings for community members on peaceful conflict resolution strategies and advocacy visits to the government and some other relevant stakeholders aimed at peacefully resolving the conflict.

2015 Bayelsa state Governorship Election Engagement Activities.

The height of political tension and contest experienced in the 2015/2016 Bayelsa State governorship election had never been experienced since the creation of the state. With the emergence of a strong opposition party (APC), having its flag bearer as the former governor of the state and the party in control of governance at the centre, the political environment in the state was tensed and threatening as this was evident in the various attacks and counter attacks of supporters of the two major contending political parties (APC and PDP). Some of the activities carried out BEFORE the election were: a. Town Hall meeting comprising the security agencies, INEC, traditional institutions, youth groups, women groups, NGOs, CLOs, persons with disabilities, the academia, religious organizations, media, market women representatives and community representatives was organized. b. Advocacy Visits tothe Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) c. Radio dialogue programmes to discuss on topics aimed at achieving non-violent election and the need for all stakeholders to support INEC inorder to achieve peaceful election d. Conducted 2 peace rallies in collaboration with Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and NSRP in Yenagoa the state capital. e. Trained 20 Journalist on conflict sensitive election reporting from 16 media organizations Bayelsa state.

Farmers-Herders Intervention

With report of pockets of violent attacks and threats of counter attacks between farmers and herders in Bayelsa, series of activities were carried out. In an effort to addressing rising security challenges emanating from herdsmen and farmers activities, the Bayelsa State Conflict Management Alliance (BSCMA), conveyed by the Institute for Niger Delta Studies (INDS) implemented several activities in Bayelsa State to prevent, manage and resolve conflicts between herdsmen, farmers and communities. Some of the engagement activities include:

a. Advocacy visits As part of effort to engage all relevant stakeholders, advocacy visits were carried out to the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (SCIA); Cattle Dealers and Rearers Association, Bayelsa State Chapter; Cattle Butchers Association of Bayelsa State; Special Adviser to the Executive Governor of Bayelsa State on Security Matters; Bayelsa State House Committee Chairman on Security , the majority leader Bayelsa House of Assembly; state committee on the management and control of cattle ranches and the host communities of Elebele, Okaka, Azikoro, Otueke, Otuokpoti and Agbura in the Ogbia and Yenagoa local government areas of Bayelsa State, Nigeria. These visits were repeatedly carried out to the stakeholders all through the period of the engagements to brain storm, inform, sensitize, collaborate and partner in order to resolve the farmers-herders conflict in Bayelsa State.

b.Stakeholders meetings We equally organized 2 stakeholders dialogue meetings in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital. In attendance were government and security agency representatives; civil society organizations (CSOs); community-based organizations (CBOs); faith based organizations (FBOs); NGOs; academia; farmers; pastoralists; traditional institutions; community representatives, civil liberty organizations and the media. The dialogue meetings which were well attended by the stakeholders, had outcomes which impacted positively in achieving peaceful-coexistence between farmers and herdsmen in the state.

c)Engagement meeting with the Bayelsa State Committee on the Management and Control of Cattle Ranches. In response to the pockets of farmers-herdsmen conflicts and the proposal made by the BSCMA, the Bayelsa State Government inaugurated the state committee on the management and control of cattle ranches, to manage and direct cattle grazing activities in Bayelsa State. The INDS collaborated and offered support to the committee in terms of capacity building and technical expertise to enable the committee achieve on his mandate.

d)Early warning and Early Response(EWER) to conflict training The Bayelsa State Conflict Management Alliance (BSCMA), conveyed by the Institute for Niger Delta studies (INDS)organized early warning and early response trainingfor Cattle dealers and Butchers, State Government Committee on the Management and Control of Cattle Ranches, the Bayelsa State Conflict Resolution Committee, host communities of the Bayelsa Palm and the Arewa Community. The aim of the training was to build capacity of the organizations/bodies to prevent and respond to conflict issues before they escalate to violent conflict.

Results from activities:

i. Initiation and drafting of the “Bayelsa State Anti-grazing Area/ Cattle Market Bill” to control and manage cattle grazing in the state. The Bill was sponsored by the majority leader, Bayelsa State House of Assembly (BYHA). And since been passed to law.

ii. Provision of a grazing area (Bayelsa Palm) as temporary site for Cattle grazing by the Bayelsa State Government after series of engagement.

iii. Design and erection of “No Grazing Area” sign post in strategic areas in the state to prevent cattle grazing in an unauthorized locations. The sign posts assisted in preventing the Cattles from grazing on farm lands and other un-authorized areas.

iv. Above all, the interventions ensured peaceful co-existence between farmers and herdsmen in Bayelsa State, Nigeria.