Conflicts Between Farmers and Herders in West Africa
Conflicts between farmers and herders in West Africa have persisted for centuries. While these disputes predate colonial rule, they became more pronounced during the expansion of the cattle trade and the Sahelian droughts of the 1960s to 1980s. These droughts forced many herding communities, including members of the Fulbe community, to migrate southward to the fertile grasslands and forests of West Africa.
Agogo in Focus
Agogo, a town in Ghana’s Ashanti Region, is renowned for its vibrant agricultural activities and serves as a hub for cocoa and food crop farming. It is the capital of the Asante Akim North Municipality and has a diverse population engaged in farming, trading, and other economic ventures. The town has also been a focal point in discussions about land use and farmer-herder relations, particularly involving the Fulbe community. Two key agreements, made in 1997 and 2006, stand out as significant efforts to address and manage tensions between farmers and herders in Agogo.
The Agreements
The 1997 Agreement
In 1997, members of the Fulbe community reportedly petitioned the Agogo stool for temporary access to grazing land. An agreement was reached through Nana Kwame Nti (Krontihene) and Nana Kwadwo Baah (Odikro of Abrewapong) on behalf of the Agogo Traditional Council. According to a paper titled Farmer-Herder Conflicts, Tenure Insecurity, and Farmer’s Investment Decisions in Agogo, Ghana, grazing parcels were allocated to the herders in Abrewapong village, a suburb of Agogo, under specific terms.
One condition required herders to ensure their animals did not destroy local farmers’ crops, with compensation required for any damages caused. However, incidents of crop destruction soon surfaced, igniting the now widespread farmer-herder conflicts in the area. By February 1999, breaches of the agreement led to a directive for herders to leave, but reports suggested some were reluctant to comply. In response, the Ghanaian government re-launched Operation Cow Leg, first introduced in 1988 to manage issues related to “alien herdsmen.”
The 2006 Agreement
In 2006, the Agogo Traditional Council, under the leadership of Nana Akuoko Sarpong (Paramount Chief of Agogo), granted a 50-year grazing lease to six Ghanaian cattle owners. Each cattle owner was allocated 50 acres of grassland for an annual rent of 5 million cedis (equivalent to 500 Ghana cedis) payable to the Agogo Traditional Council. The initiative aimed to promote sustainable cattle rearing in Agogo.
However, this statutory grant of customary land triggered renewed activities by herders, leading to fresh conflicts.
Escalation and Renewed Action
In 2010, the government established a committee, chaired by James Dadson (then Regional Lands Officer), to investigate the recurring conflicts and recommend solutions. By 2011, the Agogo Traditional Council, citing breaches of lease conditions, called for the voluntary removal of cattle by March 29, 2011, but this directive was ignored by the six leaseholders.
In January 2012, a High Court ordered the removal of all cattle except those confined to ranches in designated zones. The failure to comply with this directive necessitated the re-launch of Operation Cow Leg in 2013 to expel herders without valid leases or those who had violated lease terms.
Operation Cow Leg
Operation Cow Leg was a government-led initiative in Ghana to address farmer-herder conflicts by regulating cattle movement and expelling unauthorized herders. Initially launched in 1988 and reintroduced in 2013, the operation comprised a task force involving the Ghana Armed Forces, the Ghana Police Service, and officials from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. Its primary aim was to protect farmlands from destruction caused by roaming cattle and enforce agreements and grazing laws.
The task force operated by identifying unauthorized herders, confiscating stray cattle, and ensuring grazing activities were confined to approved areas. It also sought to manage the presence of “alien herdsmen,” often referring to non-local pastoralists, by relocating them to designated zones or expelling them. Key areas of operation included the Agogo Traditional Area in the Ashanti Region, as well as parts of the Brong Ahafo and Northern Regions, which were hotspots for farmer-herder disputes.
Operation Cow Leg’s Many Lapses
Despite its intermittent implementation since 1988, Operation Cow Leg has not resolved farmer-herder conflicts. According to Professor Elias Danyi Kuusaana, Lecturer at the Department of Land Management, Simon Diedong Dombo University for Business and Integrated Development Studies (SDD-UBIDS), the operation is politically motivated. “They are usually hyped within some political season. The purpose is not to resolve anything. The purpose is to ensure that the herders, and particularly, Fulbe, are removed or, if you want, are gotten rid of from these host communities.”
“[Operation Cow Leg] has been in response to various calls from various people who are not desirous of herders of Fulbe resident and operating in their community,” he added.
Professor Kuusaana also questions why longstanding traditions, such as agreements with community heads and herders to compensate farmers for lost crops, have not been sufficient to foster peace. He stated, “My informed opinion is that it is just a yield to some political people, which in my view, and in some research views, is not part of the reasons these conflicts arise.”
Threats of Radicalization
The combat-style approach of Operation Cow Leg may lead to radicalization among Fulbe herders. Professor Kuusaana explained, “They have told us in interviews that where they are overwhelmed and incessantly harassed, when they are fed up, they do not mind if some other external forces are ready to help them. From experiences working with the Fulbe communities, they are already armed. Many of them, as they roam in the bushes, they are armed. The arms go beyond the normal cutlasses we know of to moving around with very sophisticated weapons. This is not just a security concern; it is a national concern that needs a lot of attention.”
He added, “Radical approaches, like Operation Cow Leg, only help to worsen the process.”
Modern Conflict Resolution Strategies
To address farmer-herder conflicts effectively, stakeholders must understand the complexities of the situation and employ inclusive, community-led peacebuilding initiatives. Professor Kuusaana suggests modern approaches like mediation, arbitration, Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), Conflict Transformation, and Restorative Justice.
He noted, “It has become the case that for some conflict situations, if you apply a single approach, you may not get the full resolution of the issues. You have to have multiple conflict resolution strategies on one conflict. That is why I say they are modern and emerging.”
He further explained, “In some cases, you have med-arbitration, which is a new conflict resolution procedure. This means they are combining mediation and arbitration. These things go beyond the old strategies that have been used.”
Professor Kuusaana believes these strategies are more effective than the combat tactics of Operation Cow Leg. “Definitely, we should employ these conflict resolution strategies, which are less destructive to the parties involved. You do not use a wrong to cure another wrong. When a herder’s cattle destroys your farm, you do not destroy the cattle in retaliation,” he said.
He concluded, “When you use an action like Operation Cow Leg, crops are destroyed, and animals are destroyed, and you can’t count any gains. Such retaliatory attacks are what are brewing such acts of radicalism.”
Policy Considerations
Beyond conflict resolution, Ghana needs inclusive policies that deconstruct stereotypes against the Fulbe community. Professor Kuusaana emphasized, “We have a lot of Fulbe that have their ancestry tracing far beyond independence. Of course, you can still identify them as Fulbe per their looks, but how do you tell someone whose great-grandfather was born in Ghana, and if his father was a Ghanaian because his father was in Ghana before independence, that suddenly he cannot be Ghanaian because he is Fulbe?
“We need to contextualize this through policy where we have Fulbe who are migrant Fulbe. These are the Fulbe we need to screen and document and not the Fulbe who have ancestral roots to Ghana.”
Conclusion
Farmer-herder conflicts in West Africa, particularly in Ghana, remain a multifaceted challenge deeply rooted in historical, economic, and social complexities. While efforts like Operation Cow Leg have sought to address these conflicts, their combat-style approach has often escalated tensions rather than fostering lasting solutions.
As Professor Kuusaana highlights, modern, inclusive, and community-led conflict resolution strategies offer a more sustainable path to peace. Mediation, arbitration, and innovative hybrid approaches like med-arbitration can bridge the gap between the competing interests of farmers and herders, ensuring that grievances are addressed without deepening animosities.
Additionally, policy interventions must prioritize inclusivity and fairness, addressing stereotypes and recognizing the diverse roots of Fulbe communities in Ghana. By fostering mutual understanding, respecting agreements, and committing to sustainable practices, stakeholders can work toward reducing the cycle of violence and promoting coexistence.
Source: A1Radioonline.Com | 101.1MHz | Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith | Bolgatanga
