Resilience Approach to conflict management to affected communities of Lake Chad Basin

Abstract

Over a decade there has been rising trends of resilience from conflict in the Lake Chad Basin region as the major effort to promote peaceful co-existence through conflict management by the stakeholders. In order to explore resilience in the region, this study states it objectives, to assess the provision of peace building to engender resilience and development in conflict affected communities, examine social cohesion for resilience and development in conflict affected communities, assess the level of prevention from escalation of conflict in conflict affected communities, and examine strategies for countering violent extremism for long term resilience, and development of conflict affected communities. The study adopted qualitative method of research and interpretive research design was used. The target population for the study were 300 community members of Borno and Yobe States in Lake Chad Basin region. The study used focus group discussion with the community members for data collection and explanatory method of data analysis by transcribing the oral interview data obtained from the focus group discussion. The result of the study revealed that substantial number of the conflict affected communities have not benefited from the peace building sensitization programmes neither from NGOs nor government. Such communities are mostly found trapped in rural areas highly risky for NGOs and government to reach. The communities include rural areas of Malam-Fatori, Kukawa, Abadam Kala Balge, Gashua and Guzamala LGAs. Yet the community members living in the major cities admitted that they have been benefiting from relief materials from NGOs and government but have not heard of the peace building initiatives. The result of the study further revealed that the major cities like Maiduguri, Biu, Damatu, Potiskum Bama, Jere, and Gwoza have benefited from NGOs and
governments’ training on social cohesion. The communities in rural areas of Abadam, Malam Fatori and Nganzai have no access to the training on social cohesion compared to the people in the state capitals and major towns of Borno and Yobe in the Lake Chad Basin Region which is as the result of difficulty in accessing conflict areas. The study recommended that Borno, Yobe States
and NGOs should extend the peace building and social cohesion programmes to the rural communities in order to create an enabling environment for sustainable development in Lake Chad Basin region.