By Esther Lohutuhureng
Part II
Conflict is common in our daily lives, and without conflict, some people would say that life is impossible, because some conflicts are positive if managed optimistically and it can result in positive change in society. However, Herders-farmers conflict can escalate into a wide range of violence bringing insecurity in society. Therefore, it is important to understand the root cause of the conflict between cattle herders and farmers in order to come up with satisfactory solutions which are imperative for both communities.
The conflict between farmers and pastoralists over grazing lands and pastures creates insecurity in some parts of the Equatoria Region, and it is believed to be an indicator of growing tensions and ethnic hatred amongst pastoralists of one ethnic origin and farmers of another. This is likely to hinder the process of peace and development in Africa’s youngest country.
To begin with, some of those herdsmen are youth while others are under-age and it’s known that young people are essential for development and economic growth in any given country. Therefore, for our country to benefit from the herders’ youth in improving our economy, the government should introduce modern methods of keeping animals to herders. The herders’ youth need to be educated too, so that they can be exposed to the modern methods of animal rearing. This can be done through the help of the local chiefs and government, nationals, and international organizations by opening mobile schools to the herders at cattle camps. These schools should not only teach them how to read and write but also teach the culture of peace. The same privileges should also be granted to the crop farmers. With access to education, farmers can keep up with the latest research and innovations in agriculture, making them competitive.
In addition to education, training, and workshops for pastoralists and farmers should be conducted concerning areas of livelihood business and agribusiness management. This would reduce the tension between the two groups.
A mutually satisfactory solution is possible if pastoralists and crop farmers respect and value one another through social interactions amongst themselves. In addition, pastoralists and crop farmers should know that they are not enemies; in fact, both of them are complementary to each other rather than fighting one another. For instance, livestock, like cows, sheep, and goats provide milk and meat not for pastoralists alone but for crop farmers as well. The animals’ wastes can be used to fertilize the soil, which is of great value to the crop farmers.
In another instance, farmers grow crops such as rice, wheat, potatoes, vegetables, and other crops which are helpful to both pastoralists and farmers. These crops provide them with food in order to build their bodies with proteins and other nutritional factors that are important to human beings. The presence of mutual interdependence between the herders and the farmers has created an everlasting link between the two. This process of value exchange between pastoralists and farmers is great evidence that pastoralists and farmers are complementary to each other.
Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries together with the Department of Animal Production within the University of Juba or any other university in South Sudan should train herders in order for them to adapt to new methods of animal rearing and spread the skills to all pastoralist communities across the country. Most of the herders are having little knowledge concerning animal production and the use of technology in keeping animals for profit-making through the sale of dairy or milk products, meat, and also hides.
However, the majority of herders are still using traditional methods of keeping animals for meat, milk, and for paying dowry which is not bad. However, one of the harmful practices by herders is that they value cattle more than human beings. For instance, some herders are ready to kill any person only to protect their cattle. For others, if a member of the family is sick, and they don’t have any money to take the patient to the hospital, instead of selling one of the livestock and then using the money to treat the patient, they would rather let the sick person suffer or even die.
One of the reasons for herder-farmers conflict is that as herders search for grazing land for their cattle, they interfere with the activities of crop farmers. But if the herders are trained on how to grow animal feeds such as fodder crops for their livestock, they would not take their cattle to farmlands for grazing.
In the hope to address the conflict between pastoralists and farmers, the government at all levels should disarm the pastoralists. The reason for them to carry weapons is a kind of protection for themselves and their livestock. Therefore, the government should first provide security for the pastoralists before disarming them. All this is done to prevent other armed groups from later attacking the already disarmed pastoralists in an attempt to raid their cattle.
The crop farmers should also play a role in preventing the occurrence of future Herders-farmers conflicts. They should protect their farmlands from stray cattle or those that may have no one to look after. The following are some recommendations for farmers to protect their crops:
The farmers should make wire fences, which are constructed of metal bars and wires woven together forming a physical barrier. Such fences are effective, long-lasting, and require little maintenance.
Formers should dialogue with the pastoralist on issues related to animal grazing and they should have mutual respect for each other. Through dialogue, the two communities would be able to resolve their differences and they would love each other as children of one mother.
The following are some recommendations for pastoralists.
Pastoralists should grow animals’ feeds such as barley and oats. In doing so, the animals will have enough feed and won’t go to farmers’ land.
The government should also create awareness about animal health and veterinary care for pastoralists so as to monitor the health of their animals. Besides, regular check-ups of the livestock and vaccination are crucial for the cattle to prevent health problems before they start.
The author can be reached via Tel: 0921492857; Email: Esther090119@gmail.com