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All about scarce resources? Untangling the Dynamics of Farmer-Herder Violence in Nigeria

Lindfors, Lucas LU (2019) STVM25 20191
Department of Political Science
Abstract
The violent clashes between farmers and herders in Nigeria have sharply intensified over the last couple of years. Not only has the number of clashes and casualties increased but the violence has also dramatically evolved, from spontaneous reactions and minor disputes to carefully planned attacks where militias eradicate whole villages. The predominant explanation is that the violence is caused by the forced migration of herders to the central and south regions, leading to a competition for scarce environmental resources with the farmers already residing in these areas. Even if grievances due to the scarcity of resources is a significant factor in understanding the violence, this study position situates itself in opposition to the... (More)
The violent clashes between farmers and herders in Nigeria have sharply intensified over the last couple of years. Not only has the number of clashes and casualties increased but the violence has also dramatically evolved, from spontaneous reactions and minor disputes to carefully planned attacks where militias eradicate whole villages. The predominant explanation is that the violence is caused by the forced migration of herders to the central and south regions, leading to a competition for scarce environmental resources with the farmers already residing in these areas. Even if grievances due to the scarcity of resources is a significant factor in understanding the violence, this study position situates itself in opposition to the predominant explanation by exploring the causes behind the conflict and the recent escalation of violence. By applying a multi-causal theoretical framework, this in-depth case study constitutes a subtle critique of the predominant explanation by demonstrating that it creates a narrow reading of the conflict. Through reports, statistics, and previous research, the study suggests that the causes and dynamics of farmer-herder violence in Nigeria must be understood in the light of ethnic and religious polarization, widespread poverty, and the fragile and overstretched government institutions which struggles to contain the spiraling violence. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Lindfors, Lucas LU
supervisor
organization
course
STVM25 20191
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Nigeria, conflict, violence, resource, scarcity, farmer, herder
language
English
id
8975884
date added to LUP
2019-09-06 09:26:28
date last changed
2019-09-06 09:26:32
@misc{8975884,
  abstract     = {{The violent clashes between farmers and herders in Nigeria have sharply intensified over the last couple of years. Not only has the number of clashes and casualties increased but the violence has also dramatically evolved, from spontaneous reactions and minor disputes to carefully planned attacks where militias eradicate whole villages. The predominant explanation is that the violence is caused by the forced migration of herders to the central and south regions, leading to a competition for scarce environmental resources with the farmers already residing in these areas. Even if grievances due to the scarcity of resources is a significant factor in understanding the violence, this study position situates itself in opposition to the predominant explanation by exploring the causes behind the conflict and the recent escalation of violence. By applying a multi-causal theoretical framework, this in-depth case study constitutes a subtle critique of the predominant explanation by demonstrating that it creates a narrow reading of the conflict. Through reports, statistics, and previous research, the study suggests that the causes and dynamics of farmer-herder violence in Nigeria must be understood in the light of ethnic and religious polarization, widespread poverty, and the fragile and overstretched government institutions which struggles to contain the spiraling violence.}},
  author       = {{Lindfors, Lucas}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{All about scarce resources? Untangling the Dynamics of Farmer-Herder Violence in Nigeria}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}