Taraba: Northern Leaders, Govs To Meet Warring Tiv/Jukun Oct 29
The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has met with community leaders of the Jukun and Tiv of Taraba State with a view to finding sustainable solutions to the war of attrition between the two tribes and as well as a resolution to get northern governors and leaders to again meet with the both parties on October 29.
In a communique issued after two days of conflict resolution meeting in Jalingo from Thursday to Friday, the Jukun and Tiv community leaders agreed to initiate a cessation of hostilities and intensify the genuine search for peaceful co-existence and sustained security in all the affected parts of the state.
The communique was signed by the President of the Tiv community, Goodman Dahida, Spokesperson of the Jukun community, Daniel Emmanuel Angyu, and countersigned by CNG Spokesman and Chairman, Reconciliation Committee of the Tiv/Jukun Conflict, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman.
Other resolutions reached at the meeting were that; “the CNG would convene an enlarged roundtable dialogue to involve northern traditional rulers, the northern Governors Forum, Northern Elders Forum, Northern Traditional rulers and other categories of stakeholders and elders and leaders of Taraba communities to hold 29th October 2019 in Jalingo.
“That the CNG would initiate an immediate process for the training of Jukun and Tiv youths in conflict resolution and management techniques as well as skill acquisition and subsequent exposure to wealth creation opportunities starting with an initial 300 youth.
“That the leaders at the meeting would mobilize the people particularly the youth of the two tribes involved in the crisis to resist further instigations to embark on actions with negative consequences on their personal security and the overall political and economic fortunes of the state.”
Others are that the community and tribal leaders “would also sensitize all levels of leadership of the warring communities to support the legitimate aspirations of their youth to reverse the current trend towards their further marginalization and irrelevance in the context of a contemporary world of immense opportunities and possibilities.
“Rally all Taraba communities to unite, rediscover and pursue common goals that include their historic unity, their political and economic development, the strength of their religious, social and moral values and respect for their diversity.
“To restore hope, trust and faith of all Taraba communities in their capacity and ability to negotiate peacefully among themselves in any circumstances which best suit their interests; and, to set up an implementation committee comprising three representatives from each of the Tiv and Jukun communities to implement the above resolutions, monitor and evaluate the level of success.”
The communiqué noted that the inter-communal clashes between the Jukun and Tiv have gone on intermittently since the late 1970’s and that the current violence is quite possibly the worst considering its cumulative threats to the corporate survival, peace and general security of not only Taraba state but to the entire North.
