On Thursday, Kaduna State Governor Malam Nasir El-Rufai attended a closed-door meeting with key stakeholders from Atyap, Fulani, and Hausa groups in Zango Kataf’s Atyap chiefdom to discuss the southern Kaduna killings.
The gathering included the military, police, intelligence agencies, international observers, and resource persons who have arbitrated and mediated the Southern Kaduna issues.
Land disputes, kidnappings, and killings have escalated in Atyap chiefdom in Zango Kataf Local Government Area of the state due to community leaders blaming each other.
The meeting was the state government’s last attempt to resolve the long-running conflict in southern communities.
After the four-hour meeting, stakeholders told journalists that concerns presented have interim, mid-term, and long-term answers.
They thought the meeting was productive and prayed for a breakthrough.
After the meeting, Kaduna State Chairman Haruna Usman told journalists that the aggrieved parties had decided to settle their disputes and live in peace.
He suggested conversation, not firearms, might tackle the chronic challenges afflicting southern communities.
“We’re worried about the governor leaving us in a few days,” he remarked. We pray for someone like him to continue his peace initiative. We decided to resolve our issues.
“Dialogue, not guns, should settle disputes. Dialogue will always resolve conflicts, not guns.
We hope today’s discussion will help us solve our domains’ crises.
We are thrilled to restore calm to our community. I’ll visit Kafanchan next week to ask my stakeholders to support the people there so they can live in peace.
“We discussed how all Southern Kaduna communities can live in peace because we realize that guns never solve crisis except dialogue that we have just entered into.”
Salim Musa Umar, Chairman, Farmers/Herders Association, highlighted that the Atyap, Hausa, and Fulani Communities had promised to address their disputes and report back to the government in two weeks.
Peacebuilding takes time. Communities have survived. Discuss topics as they arise. It takes time to resolve.
Atyap, Hausa, and Fulani have reconciled. They will inform the government within a week.
I’m optimistic they’ll resolve their issues if they’re honest. Salim Musa. Chairman, farmers/herders association,” he added.
Bature Likoro, Chairman, Southern Kaduna Community Development Association Forum, said the most important message to Southern Kadunans was to understand each other and live in peace.
He called for peace and understanding.
