The Politics of Permanent Conflict: Farmer-Herder Conflicts in Northern Cameroon

Moritz, Mark

doi:10.1080/00083968.2006.10751337

Cited by 30 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…12. A major factor in West Africa more generally for the lack of conflict resolution is the interest of the authorities (customary and governmental) to perpetuate conflicts since they benefit economically (competing bribes) from recurrent flare-ups (Moritz, 2006).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Livelihood Transitions and the Changing Nature of Farmer–Herder Conflict in Sahelian West Africa

Turner

Ayantunde²,

Patterson

et al. 2011

The Journal of Development Studies

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The accommodation of livestock husbandry with crop agriculture is crucial for the future of the West African Sahel. Present trends are leading to greater restrictions on livestock husbandry and a growing convergence of livelihood practices among groups whose identities are tied to herding and farming. Using the cases of four rural communities in Niger, this study adopts an 'access to resources' framework to analyse the causal connections among: rural peoples' livelihood strategies, everyday social relations of production, perceptions of social groups' identities, and the potential for farmer-herder conflict. While the convergence of livelihoods arguably increases the frequency of conflict triggers, it has also, through the expansion of shared common interests and cross-group, production-related relationships, improved the ability of communities to effectively manage these incipient conflicts.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Livelihood Transitions and the Changing Nature of Farmer–Herder Conflict in Sahelian West Africa

Turner

Ayantunde²,

Patterson

et al. 2011

The Journal of Development Studies

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“…Based on studies of such conflicts in Niger and Mali, Turner (2004) also proposes political ecology as an alternative approach to the scarcity narrative, stressing that conflicts between farmers and herders should be understood as more than just resource conflicts. Moritz (2006), who has carried out fieldwork in Cameroon, criticizes political ecology studies in Africa for not paying enough attention to politics. In particular, Moritz calls for an explicit linking of political ecology with the study of corruption.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Kilosa Killings: Political Ecology of a Farmer–Herder Conflict in Tanzania

Benjaminsen

Maganga

Abdallah

2009

Development and Change

151

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Farmer–herder conflicts in Africa are often presented as being driven by ‘environmental scarcity’. Political ecologists, however, argue that these conflicts should be analysed within a broader historical and policy context. This article presents a case study of a local conflict in the Kilosa District in Tanzania that tragically culminated in the killing of thirty‐eight farmers on 8 December 2000. To understand the conflict, the authors argue that it is necessary to study the history of villagization and land use in the District, as well as national land tenure and pastoral policies. Attempts at agricultural modernization have fostered an anti‐pastoral environment in Tanzania. The government aim is to confine livestock keeping to ‘pastoral villages’, but these villages lack sufficient pastures and water supplies, leading herders to search for such resources elsewhere. Pastoral access to wetlands is decreasing due to expansion of cultivated areas and the promotion of agriculture. The main tool that pastoralists still possess to counteract this trend is their ability to bribe officials. But corruption further undermines people's trust in authorities and in the willingness of these authorities to prevent conflicts. This leads actors to try to solve problems through other means, notably violence.

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“…25 For herders, the locales of conflict may shift based on transhumance but the structures which facilitate their escalation are bound by administrative boundaries. See Moritz (2006a) on unclear jurisdiction boundaries between traditional and civil authorities. 26 As this line of argumentation implies, it need not be the tension between competing forums within the customary and modern civil law systems which facilitates the use of violence; competing jurisdiction systems allow for multiple competing customary courts and it is likely that these competing local authorities agitate communal disputes by generating ethnically biased decisions.…”

Section: Legal Systems In West Africamentioning

confidence: 99%

The law of the land

Eck

2014

Journal of Peace Research

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Common notions about the source of communal land conflict in Africa have long explained it as growing out of conditions of environmental scarcity. This article argues instead that the institutional structure of the legal system is central to understanding which countries are prone to experience communal land conflict. When competing customary and modern jurisdictions coexist in countries inhabited by mixed identity groups, the conflicting sources of legal authority lead to insecurity about which source of law will prevail. Because the source of law is contested, conflict parties cannot trust the legal system to predictably adjudicate disputes, which encourages the use of extrajudicial vigilante measures. Using new data on communal violence in West Africa, this argument is examined for the period 1990-2009. The results show that in countries where competing jurisdictions exist, communal land conflict is 200-350% more likely. These findings suggest that researchers should consider the role of legal institutions and processes in relation to social unrest and collective violence.

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The Politics of Permanent Conflict: Farmer-Herder Conflicts in Northern Cameroon

Cited by 30 publications

References 21 publications

Livelihood Transitions and the Changing Nature of Farmer–Herder Conflict in Sahelian West Africa

Livelihood Transitions and the Changing Nature of Farmer–Herder Conflict in Sahelian West Africa

The Kilosa Killings: Political Ecology of a Farmer–Herder Conflict in Tanzania

The law of the land

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