Herdsmen Photo credit: /CH/
A top official of the UN Mohamed Ibn Chambas has raised concerns that the clashes between herdsmen and farmers in Nigeria are becoming deadlier.
Chambas is the Special Representative of UN Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel.
In a report presented to the UN Security Council, Chambas warned that the clashes could metamorphose into terrorist attacks if not checked.
“Violence between farmers and herders is increasingly a major security threat in the region and risks morphing into the terrorist attacks that have defined the security landscape,” he said.
“Farmer-herder conflicts are becoming more sophisticated and deadlier, especially in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
“During four days in June, new spates of attacks and retribution killings between herders and farmers in this region resulted in scores of deaths.”
Internally Displaced Persons (Idps) At Their Camp In Maiduguri On Monday Photo ABI/BJO/
With regard to Boko Haram, Chambas said despite gains made by the Nigerian military and the Multinational Joint Task Force, the terror group remained active.
“The trend of Boko Haram, using female suicide bombers continues, and reportedly almost one in five suicide bombers is a child,” he also said.
“The most recent attacks on a Nigerian military garrison in Yobe and the ambush of a military convoy in Borno are the latest manifestations of the threats still posed by Boko Haram.
“There is a need for increased support to diplomatic, security and humanitarian responses to Boko Haram, in a holistic manner.
“To this end, UNOWAS is providing technical support for a joint summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), on July 30, as called for by Security Council resolution 2349 (2017).”