Break this bloody cycle

The area has a history of such ethnic clashes; 12 separate clashes have occurred since July this year alone, with 300 deaths recorded. Mr Bulus, understandably, bemoaned the crisis, noting that it was getting worse with succeeding occurrence. In recent times, soldiers who attempted to repel the attack sustained injuries and were evacuated to the […]

The area has a history of such ethnic clashes; 12 separate clashes have occurred since July this year alone, with 300 deaths recorded. Mr Bulus, understandably, bemoaned the crisis, noting that it was getting worse with succeeding occurrence. In recent times, soldiers who attempted to repel the attack sustained injuries and were evacuated to the Army Reference Hospital in Kaduna for medical attention, illustrating the seriousness of the situation.
There is a heightened feeling of mistrust among communities towards the state government as it navigates ethnic and religious divides in its efforts at settling disputes between the different communities. For instance, during recent visit to the area by the state governor, Ajhaji Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, to condole with families of the deceased and also sympathize with hundreds of displaced persons, as a result of the latest violence, he was met with protests by hundreds of women who said he was only there to campaign for his re-election.  Officials accompanying the governor on that visit denied that this was the case.
The Kaduna State Commissioner of Information, Mr Ben Bako said at a media briefing afterwards that those who consider themselves natives of Sanga had started the latest round of crisis. According to him, the targeting of the Fulani community for attack by Sanga natives had provoked retaliation. The crisis escalated with a reprisal attack by natives to the retaliation which, according to him, was why such incidents recur only in the chiefdom.
If Mr Bako’s analysis of the crisis is correct, it would require intense and sustained inter-communal bridge-building to overcome such animosities. The fact that the villages in the crisis-ridden area of Sanga local government are made up mainly of settlements makes the deployment of conventional combatant troops an unworkable option because mounting surveillance on small villages that are largely remote and isolated would be difficult. Besides, the challenges posed by insurgency are a huge distraction that could hinder the deployment of adequate number of troops to tackle the cycle of violent attacks.
The state government must do more to establish trust among the different communities, and make greater efforts to remove obstacles to communal harmony.  The government can do this by involving a disinterested public figures and respected personalities in resolving the crisis. This will engender greater confidence of the aggrieved parties in any reconciliatory moves that may be initiated by the state government. Community and religious leaders should be engaged as active players in the healing process.
The perpetrators of the frequent attacks should however not go unpunished. The wanton killings and destruction of property anywhere should not be condoned.  The Kaduna State government should consider some form of compensation for families of those who lost their lives in the latest attacks as well as for those who lost cattle and other valuable property. Above all, it is imperative that the government does all it can to break the cycle of violence that has become the norm in Sanga local government area.