NIGERIA: ETHNIC CLASHES IN NASARAWA STATE:

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 001448

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/22/2011
TAGS: PGOV PINR PINS NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: ETHNIC CLASHES IN NASARAWA STATE:
CONFLICT OVER LAND AND COMMUNITY STATUS


Classified by Ambassador Howard F. Jeter, reason 1.5 (B/D).



1. (U) Summary. Ethnic clashes in the Middle-Belt State of
Nasarawa highlight long-standing and bitter disputes over
land and community status. "Settlers" and indigenes trade
reprisal raids, burning homes, seizing property, and taking
lives. The State Government struggles to effect dialogue
between the affected communities, and relative peace appears
to have been re-established after security forces intervened.
End summary.



2. (U) Local press reported June 22 violent clashes between
rival ethnic groups in the south-east corner of Nasarawa
State, a Middle-Belt State located immediately to the east of
the Federal Capital Territory. One report listed 10 killed
in clashes near the town of Azara over the past few days
between ethnic Tiv communities and Hausa-speaking
inhabitants. Poloff spoke by telephone with Nasarawa Deputy
Governor Onje Gye-Wado June 22, and received an update on the
conflict and the State Government's efforts to calm the
situation.



3. (C) Gye-Wado told Poloff that, in an area long unsettled
by tensions between rival ethnic groups in the south-eastern
corner of the state, the latest round of attacks and
reprisals began in March with the murder of a Kwala community
leader. Gye-Wado spoke of a four-way contest between the
Tiv, the Kwala, Hausa-speaking peoples originally from Borno
State (located to the north),and Jukun communities. The
Deputy Governor had no exact figures at hand, but he said
that "quite a few" people had lost their lives over the last
three months in repeated raids by the four groups on each
other's communities, the burning of homes, and looting of
property. The root causes of the conflict were access to
land, and the relative status of the various communities
vis-a-vis the others. "It is a very tricky situation," said
Gye-Wado. "Everyone is always talking of "settlers," and how
they must leave the area." Each ethnic group (aside from the
Hausa-speakers) made some claim to being indigenes, with the
others categorized as interlopers (and hence of low status).
Many people had fled the area in the past two weeks, he said,
in particular Tiv peoples crossing into Benue State to the
south (which is a majority Tiv state).



4. (C) Gye-Dado said that violence sprang up again last week
after the murder of a community leader among the
Hausa-speakers. In one unfortunate incident this week, he
said, six rioters were killed by police, with one policeman
killed in the melee. Beefed-up security forces had basically
restored order, he said, but beyond the immediate
intervention of security forces, his government had spent
much time and effort on consultative measures with and among
the four communities. The Nasarawa Government had also
worked intensively with the Benue Government to discuss
lessening of tensions and joint security meansures, he said.
These efforts had borne fruit, and, for now, at least, a
relative calm had returned to the area. People had begun to
return to their homes. Although he offered no predictions,
the Deputy Governor said he hoped that dialogue and
consultation would prevail, and the rounds of reprisal
attacks cease.



5. (C) Comment. Bitter disputes over land and community
status bedevil many States in Nigeria. Tiv, Jukun, Kwala and
Hausa-speakers live intermingled in this section of Nasarawa
State and disputes tend to fester for months if not years.
The Nawarawa Government appears to understand the importance
of dialogue and consultation. But localized disputes such as
this will continue among impoverished communities where land
and status are acutely coveted and jealously guarded. End
Comment.
Jeter