By Marie-Therese Nanlong

Worried by the resurging violence in some parts of Plateau State, stakeholders including international Non Governmental Organizations, iNGO and Civil Society Organizations, CSOs working to foster peaceful coexistence in the State have re-strategized and commit to improved synergy to strengthen the peace-building process in the State.

The stakeholders at a three-day strategic meeting with the theme “Coordinated Robust Partnership and Collaboration Towards Addressing the Resurgence of Violence in Mangu, Barkin Ladi and Bokkos LGAs of Plateau State,” organized by the Plateau State Peace Building Agency, PPBA in partnership with United States Agency for International Development, USAID and Mercy Corps gave fresh insights and recommended better ways of working together to ensure peaceful coexistence among communities.

At the event held in Jos, Plateau State, diverse speakers from Equal Access International, Mercy Corps, Search for Common Ground, WANEP,  Plateau Peace Practitioners Network, PPPN, Interfaith Mediation Centre, IMC, Community Initiatives to Promote Peace, CIPP, Plateau Peace Media Network, religious and traditional leaders, security agencies, and community representatives among others recommended better ways of working together to achieve success.

Explaining the aim of the meeting, the Acting Director General, of Plateau Peace Building Agency, PPBA, Mr. Timothy Gayi said that conflict evolves and the over two decades old violent conflict in the State now has new dynamics hence the need for frank discussions that would assist in early warnings and early responses that would mitigate violence in communities.

He expressed concern about the challenges faced in the timely responses to early warnings and advocated a robust inter-agency collaboration among the security agencies for better results.

Rev. James Wuye and Imam Muhammad Ashafa, Co-Executive Directors of Interfaith Mediation Center (IMC) in their separate remarks noted that the meeting would assist all the clusters to work harmoniously towards achieving cohesion in the peace-building process in communities rather than working at cross-purposes due to duplicity of activities.

Also, Maji Peter, the Country Director of Equal Access International in Nigeria, stressed that the meeting aimed to “create a unified platform for CSOs, donor agencies, and international organizations operating in Plateau State,” and sought to “broaden perspectives, fortify structural foundations, and fortify the peace architecture in the region.”

Chrysanthus Lapang of Mercy Corps Nigeria underscored the importance of comprehending the contextual intricacies of violence within specific Local Government Areas in Plateau State as “this understanding would pave the way for targeted interventions and impactful solutions, promoting unity, and minimizing the duplication of efforts.”

Some of the expectations of the meeting were the establishment of a unique conversational platform, enabling strategic partners and stakeholders to collectively deliberate on innovative strategies for peacebuilding in Plateau State among others.