Stakeholders, conflict mediators and peace volunteers in Ebonyi State have been charged to be alert in monitoring and identifying early conflict signs in order to timely mitigate escalation of conflicts within and across communities in the state.
The admonition was part of the outcome of a one-day inter communal dialogue and forum for peace and understanding, organized by the Human Rights and Conflict Resolution Centre, in partnership with Cardinal Onaiyekan Foundation for peace.
The forum, one of the organizations’ series of activities and interventions lined up for Ebonyi State, was held in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital, on Tuesday. It brought together community leaders, security agencies, religious leaders, volunteers and the media to a round table on ways of mitigating and transforming conflicts.
Speaking on the essence of the forum, the Executive Director, Human Rights and Conflict Resolution Centre, Abakaliki, George Etamesor, said it was intended to hopefully lead to lasting peace in the state.
“With people being able to take ownership of peace in their localities, it would encourage the message of conflict prevention more than intervention, management and transformation,” Etamesor said.
On the status of the human rights situation in Ebonyi State, Etamesor stressed: “I have always said and continue to say that respect for human rights in Ebonyi State is very poor as of today, and there is so much evidence to justify that saying.
“And the sad thing is that without justice, there can be no peace, and when you keep abusing the rights of people, expecting them to keep silent, they will somehow, surely vent their anger somewhere, from one person to another, thereby resulting to escalation of conflicts.”
One of the resource persons at the forum, Augustine Anyio, from Cardinal Onaiyekan Foundation for Peace (COFP), observed that divergent needs, interests and feelings were the major causes of conflict among persons and communities.
He warned government and other mediators in conflict situations to always go beyond conflict management and resolution to conflict transformation which according to him targets the root of conflict issues with the aim of mending it for lasting positive outcome.
Anyio said: “For us to transform conflicts there must be deep rooted healing of soured relationship between the factions.
“If you want to live in peace with your neighbour, first put yourself in the shoes of your neighbour.
“Conflicts are better transformed if the actors are sincere and open to the mediator, and if you understand the dynamics of a conflict, you will be able to understand the approach to solving it.
“The training is to help participants identify signs, analyze those signs and share their feedback with the right authorities: community leaders, security operatives, appropriate government agencies, Civil Society organizations, among others, for prompt intervention actions.”
Another resource person and the Head of Department, Peace Building and Emergency, HRCRC, Moses Ekeke, identified conflict early warning to be monitored to include attitudes and behaviours; youth restiveness, flagrant abuse of rights, competition over resources, among others.
Ekeke added: “A lot of things should early warning monitors watch out for.
“The basic thing to monitor is our attitudes and behaviours.
“We should monitor our political stakeholders, traditional/community leaders, the youths, and so on.
“If these signs are monitored and our reports put together to appropriate quarters, it would go a long way to curbing insecurity and conflicts rampant in our society today.”
The Human Rights and Conflict Resolution Centre, a nongovernmental organization, is renowned for its intervention and mediatory roles in conflicts between individuals and among persons and organizations.
The Cardinal Onaiyekan Centre for Peace, Abuja, also an NGO, is involved in brokering inter-religious, social peace and conflict transformation for a better society.
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