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FRR Packs > Conflicts between farmers and herders caused by climate change—and possible solutions

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In 2012, jihadist-backed armed groups took control of parts of northern Mali and instituted sharia law. At the request of the Malian State, the French army intervened to halt the progression of the jihadists towards southern Mali. Since then, insecurity has taken hold in some parts of northern Mali, there are clashes between communities, and a huge number of people are internally displaced.

As a result of this violence, for the past few years, there have been increased conflicts between herders and farmers. These conflicts are often caused or exacerbated by climate change, which has caused significant damage to the environment.

Deforestation, floods, and drought are among the damages caused by climate change, which is now one of the most important factors contributing to conflicts between farmers and herders. For more than 20 years, this has contributed to the destabilization of the Sahel by triggering conflicts that have affected the relationships between farmers and herders.

Clashes between farmers and herders have occurred throughout Mali, especially in the central regions of Mopti and Gao. Several non-governmental organizations and the Malian government have organized awareness-raising activities to calm the situation and find a solution to the problems.

In this radio script, we speak with five people: a farmer, a herder, the Regional Director of Agriculture for the Gao region, a member of civil society, and a project management specialist. They discuss the continuing conflict between farmers and herders.

If you want to create programs about conflict between herders and farmers, talk to members of both groups. You might want to ask them the following questions:

  • What are the causes of the conflict between herders and farmers?
  • How have the changing circumstances for farmers and herders contributed to the
    conflict?
  • What are the consequences of the conflict on herders and farmers?
  • What are the possible solutions?
  • What concrete actions have been taken to reconcile herders and farmers?
  • Is climate change a cause of conflict between farmers and herders? If so, how?

Estimated duration of the radio script with music, intro and extro: 20 minutes

Script

HOST:
Hello, dear listeners, welcome to our program.

Today, we are going to talk about a complex and important subject, namely the conflicts between herders and farmers in Mali. For a number of years, Mali has experienced conflicts between these two groups.

Conflicts between herders and farmers have resulted in many displacements, deaths, and injuries. The 2012 crisis in northern Mali led to insecurity and the proliferation of armed groups. For over a year and a half, northern Mali was occupied by armed groups and jihadists. This occupation facilitated the outbreak of clashes between herders and farmers. In order to calm the situation and end the clashes, many people and organizations got involved.

To fully understand this issue, we talk first with Adourhamane Hamidou, who gives us a brief overview of the conflict between herders and farmers in Mali. Mr. Hamidou is a farmer in the Cercle d’Ansongo are of the Gao region of Mali. Secondly, we talk to herder Hameye Toure, who shares his experience of the conflict between herders and farmers. Third, we talk to Elisé Goita, environmentalist and Head of the Agriculture Sector of Bougouni. Fourth, we talk with Nouhou Cheybou, President of the Chamber of Agriculture of Gao, who talks about the conflict between herders and farmers. Finally, we talk to Mr. Malamine Traore, a geographer specializing in project management.

HOST:
Welcome, Mr. Hamidou.

ADOURHAMANE HAMIDOU:
Thank you for receiving me.

HOST:
What are the causes of the clashes between herders and farmers in Mali?

ADOURHAMANE HAMIDOU:
Conflicts between herders and farmers are due to a number of things, including access to wells, ponds, and grazing areas. Herders often feel restricted in their activities because of the limited space for grazing, and the fact that farmers’ fields obstruct access to ponds.

HOST:
What are the difficulties between herders and farmers?

ADOURHAMANE HAMIDOU:
The first difficulty relates to the expansion of crop fields next to the pathways to ponds and wells, making it difficult for animals to roam about freely. The second difficulty is associated with some herders who complain that some fields are getting closer and closer to their grazing areas.

HOST:
In which area of Mali are the problems between herders and farmers most frequent?

ADOURHAMANE HAMIDOU:
Problems between herders and farmers exist all over the country, for example in the circle of Ansongo in the Gao region, in the region of Mopti in the centre, and in Segou in the south.

HOST:
Did the 2012 crisis aggravate the conflict between herders and farmers?

ADOURHAMANE HAMIDOU:
The crisis of 2012 aggravated the conflict in many regions. In the region of Mopti, the Peulhs who are the herders and the Dogons who are the farmers do not get along as they used to before the crisis. Conflicts have arisen between them, causing loss of lives. Today, in the Mopti region, there is mistrust between the two communities. In many regions, the crisis has multiplied conflicts between herders and farmers.

HOST:
Is pastoralism itself a source of conflict?

ADOURHAMANE HAMIDOU:
No, pastoralism is not a source of conflict. It is an activity carried out by people who move from place to place. It has been carried out for years, and some people depend on it for their livelihood.

HOST:
As a farmer, what do you have against the herders?

ADOURHAMANE HAMIDOU:
What creates conflict between us are misunderstandings related to grazing areas. Our brothers and sisters who are herders think that our fields occupy their grazing areas. We farmers, on the other hand, see our fields devastated by animals. It’s just a matter of organization which can be handled without any problem.

HOST:
Have you and your brother and sister herders ever tried to get along?

ADOURHAMANE HAMIDOU:
Yes, many meetings have been organized by local, national, and international non-governmental organizations to discuss the issues and find a definitive solution to this crisis that has lasted too long. But all these meetings have not settled the matter and the disagreements persist.

HOST:
Thank you, Adourhamane Hamidou. We are now going to talk to Mr. Hameye Toure, who is aherder.

Thank you for accepting our invitation.

What are your disagreements with your farming brothers and sisters?

HAMEYE TOURE:
What creates conflict between us are the spaces occupied by the fields of our farming brothers and sisters. Sometimes they accuse us of destroying their fields because our animals roam around and enter their fields without our knowledge. They sometimes charge us money for the damage caused by our animals in our absence. The whole problem revolves around the well and pond areas.

HOST:
What do you need to do to reconcile the problems?

HAMEYE TOURE:
The State must assume its responsibilities by restoring order in this area.

HOST:
Are you saying that, despite all the mediations between you, the conflicts persist?

HAMEYE TOURE:
If all these meetings have not changed anything, it means that some people are not sincere and this discord is very convenient for them. If the carrot doesn’t work, you have to use the stick and that won’t be possible as long as the State is ineffective. There is a lack of commitment from everyone. Otherwise, regardless of the problem, we could solve it. If we change our strategy, we can succeed in our efforts to bring about calm in the area.

HOST:
What message do you want to convey about this situation?

HAMEYE TOURE:
My message is one of reconciliation between us, because nothing is more important than peace.

HOST:
Thank you, Mr. Hameye Toure. The third speaker is Elisé Goita.

Can climate change be the cause of conflicts between farmers and herders?

ELISÉ GOITA:
Yes, climate change is one of the causes of increased conflict. For example, the drying up of pasturelands means that herders are forced to migrate to other arable land, which often pits them against farmers. When livestock numbers exceed the capacity of the available pasture and water, migration to other areas is inevitable and this leads to conflict.
Conflicts between farmers and herders have been aggravated in recent years by many factors, including climate change, difficult and insecure access to pastoral resources such as water and pasture, non-implementation of the pastoral charter, poor management of herder-farmer conflicts, and pressures from the increasing population. The pastoral charter is the law that governs pastoralism in Mali. It describes how land should be organized, including crop fields, pastoral tracks, animal resting areas, and access to water points.
In the Mopti region in the centre and the Sikasso region in the south, climate change has caused conflicts between herders and farmers. Currently in the Mopti region, we are confronted with this problem, which drives families to move entire villages.

HOST:
Mr. Nouhou Cheybou!

NOUHOU CHEYBOU:
Hello!

HOST:
Thank you for being here with us today.

NOUHOU CHEYBOU:
I should be the one to thank you.

HOST:
How would you describe this conflict between herders and farmers?

NOUHOU CHEYBOU:
The conflict has many causes, including misunderstandings between herders and farmers. But the main cause is the lack of tracks and pastoral spaces, which leads to a lack of understanding between the two groups.

HOST:
What have you been able to do at the Chamber of Agriculture?

NOUHOU CHEYBOU:
We have done a lot to calm the situation. We have organized meetings between herders and farmers. In 2019, we signed a memorandum of understanding in the region between herders and farmers. But this was not respected by farmers and herders. It was a 12-point agreement that all parties had to adhere to. Among its points, there is the allocation of spaces, the sharing of land, and the fulfillment of commitments. The first commitment is to respect the agreement, the second to not exceed the spaces reserved for each of the parties and the amicable settlement of all conflicts between the two parties, a non-aggression agreement, and a commitment to dialogue in case of disagreement.

HOST:
What are the consequences of these conflicts between herders and farmers?

NOUHOU CHEYBOU:
The consequences are enormous because the conflicts sometimes lead to food insecurity and human death, as has been the case in other regions of Mali.

HOST:
Now we’ re going to ask some questions to Mr. Malamine Traore, who is a geographer and project management specialist.

HOST:
What are the causes of conflicts between farmers and herders?

MALAMINE TRAORE:
Some of the causes of conflict are the damage that occurs when livestock pass through fields, and the dispossession of land reserved for herders, which creates tension. When combined with the theft of livestock, this can generate crises.

HOST:
Why do these conflicts seem to be increasing lately?

MALAMINE TRAORE:
The multiplication of these conflicts lately is due to the crisis of 2012, which led to insecurity that has created mistrust. The insecurity that we are experiencing in Mali has greatly impacted or exacerbated these conflicts.

HOST:
What are the consequences of the conflicts between herders and farmers?

MALAMINE TRAORE:
The consequences are between herders and farmerspeople leaving rural communities, the enlistment of young people in jihadist groups, and poverty.

HOST:
What are the possible solutions?

MALAMINE TRAORE:
First, we need to sensitize and inform communities on how to prevent conflicts between herders and farmers and address their root causes. These are the movement of people from one place to another, and people’s access to resources. Because when people move, they may occupy land in territories that do not belong to them. Mobility can lead to the occupation of land. So there is a need to set up structures for natural resource management. This will make it possible to involve all social groups in preventing conflicts between herders and farmers.

HOST:
Is climate change a factor in conflict?

MALAMINE TRAORE:
When we talk about climate change, we are talking about issues like deforestation, bush fires, and overgrazing, and yes, it is a cause of conflict. Cutting down trees often affects rainfall, and then there is also silting, where the riverbed is filled with sand. This reduces the amount of water flowing in the river over time. All of this contributes to conflicts between farmers and herders.
Climate change causes rivers to recede and conservation areas to decline, including forests. Land also dries out as a result of climate change.

HOST:
In what area are these conflicts most frequent?

MALAMINE TRAORE:
In the Office du Niger area from Segou to Mopti and up to the Timbuktu area. But with climate change, the most recurrent conflicts are in the Sikasso region. This has caused massive displacement of populations.

HOST:
Has the 2012 crisis accentuated these conflicts?

MALAMINE TRAORE:
The crisis has greatly accentuated this situation. It has led to some herders joining the ranks of the jihadists.
Pastoralism is a necessity and a means of subsistence as well as a source of tension between farmers and herders. These displacements lead to conflicts that cannot be contained.

HOST:
How involved is the national government in resolving these conflicts?

MALAMINE TRAORE:
The Malian State is involved by adopting laws, and by taking administrative and political measures. We need to have established laws governing the management of resources in order to avoid problems. These laws will help to regulate pastoral and agricultural space, they will guide the stockbreeders and the farmers in their cohabitation and will allow each group to know its rights and duties towards the others.

HOST:
Dear listeners, today we have talked about the conflicts between herders and farmers that have existed for years. We have talked about the causes of the conflict, the consequences of the conflict, and the solutions that could put an end to it. Thanks to our speakers, we understood that the conflict is focused on wells, ponds, and other spaces that are poorly distributed between farmers and herders, and also the increase in population. Another important cause is climate change, which, along with the 2012 crisis in northern Mali, lies behind the recent increase in these conflicts. We hope that this program kept you well-informed about these conflicts between herders and farmers.

Thank you very much for your kind attention. Goodbye and I hope to see you soon.

Acknowledgements

Written by: Aly Ibrahim Maiga

Reviewed by: Elisé GOITA, Head of the Agriculture Sector of Bougouni, Plant Protection Engineer, Mali.

Interviews:

Adourhamane Hamidou, farmer in the circle of Ansongo in the Gao region. Interviewed on November 13, 2021.

Hameye Toure, breeder in the circle of Ansongo interviewed on November 14, 2021.

Nouhou Cheybou, Chairman of the Chamber of Agriculture of Gao. Interviewed on November 14, 2021.

Malamine Traore, geographer and project management specialist, interviewed on January 18, 2022.

Elisé Goita, head of the agriculture sector of Bougouni. Interviewed on January 20, 2022.

This resource is undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada provided through Global Affairs Canada.