As the farming season begins in the Northern parts of the country, one critical issue that has lingered for many years is farmer-Herder conflict.
In most communities, the timing of farming and herding activities is a significant factor in the farmer-herder conflict.
The conflict arises from competing needs for land and water resources, often intensifying during the rainy season and the subsequent farming season. This is when farmers need land for cultivation and herders need grazing areas for their livestock.
It’s 8:00am and Dawuda Abdulai, a Fulani herdsman is preparing to take his cattle out to graze.
But while this is a daily routine, his fear is even more intense as one mistake of his animals entering a farm, could cause him the beating of his life or even an end to his life.
“The time a lot of people are into farming and most of them farm on cattle pathways so every day is a headache on where to pass and go grazing,“ he said.
Dawuda recounts how he was nearly lynched by a farmer some years back when his cattle entered a farm.
“Three years ago, I entered someone’s farm with my cattle and when the owner came, he pounced on me out of anger but his son recognized me, so he didn’t harm me but took me to my master and he paid him for the damages the cows caused,” he recalled.
He called for a systemic demarcation of lands for cattle grazing.
“We don’t have pathways and grazing fields. Maybe if we are allocated a field for grazing, this conflict will end,” he proposed.
Attacks on Fulani herders and farmers has become a complex issue, often rooted in competition for resources like land and water.
Seasonal migration by some of these Herders who end up encroaching on farmlands while in search of grazing land, has led to crop damages and tensions with farmers.
In recent past, both humans and animals have died following attacks on both parties.
Secretary of the Fulbe community in the East Gonja Municipality, Abdulai Seidu Dicko, is concerned about the attacks of locals in the Fulbe community each time cattle stray into a farm.
“Stereotypes about Fulani herders and portraying them as criminals, can also fuel conflict. Sometimes a whole Fulani community is raised down because one Fulani committed a crime. That’s unfair,” he bemoaned.
Research conducted by Coginta Ghana under its peace project funded by the European Union on farmer-herder conflict revealed that these conflicts have led to a large increase in cattle rustling, money laundering, kidnapping among others
At a stakeholder forum to discuss the challenges of farmers and herders in the Savannah Region, Country Director of Coginta Ghana, Rev. Father Clement Aapengnuo expressed concerns over the increasing rate of cattle rustling in the country which is already burdened by farmer-herder conflicts and has the potential of creating instability.
He urged traditional authorities and other stakeholders to engage, sensitize and build capacity to eradicate the situation.
“Many of the chiefs and traditional leaders are ignorant of the implications of such activities and those who appreciate the situation are overwhelmed and unable to proffer solutions. There is therefore the urgent need to engage the traditional leaders within the corridor to sensitize and build their capacity to provide leadership to eradicate the situation,” he said.
ECOWAS protocol on transhumance, which was passed in 1998 and reviewed in 2003, allows the free movement of herders and their livestock within the ECOWAS region in search of pasture.
Proper land management and resource allocations, improved grazing management, security and law enforcement as well as proper collaboration can address the conflicts.
Areas like Tinga and Maluwe in the Savannah Region have instituted some bye laws already aimed at addressing the conflicts.
