GAW Faults report on farmers-herdsmen conflict

The Global Amnesty Watch (GAW) has faulted the claims by Amnesty International (AI) that the government and armed forces in Nigeria did not do enough to prevent clashes between herders and farmers in Nigeria.

This was contained in a statement issued by the president of GAW at a world press conference on the activities of the Global Amnesty Watch in Nigeria, held on January 3, 2019.

David Falt, leader of the group, said the government of President Muhammadu Buhari has sustained the fight against insecurity.

“GAW is taken aback by ‘Harvest of Death Three Years of Bloody Clashes between Farmers and Herders in Nigeria’, a report by Amnesty International on the farmers/herders’ clashes in Nigeria,” he said.

“That organization took the simplistic position that the Nigerian Government and military did not do enough to protect communities from the massacre. The information available to GAW makes the position adopted by Amnesty International to appear as a clear-cut case of incitement. The organizations conveniently ignored the reality on the ground to suggest that Nigerian authorities should have done more to stop the ‘killer herdsmen’.

“It appears Amnesty International was resolved to create a blockbuster report as against providing details that will make meaningful contributions to peace building. While the entire report is replete with over dramatization, certain specific aspects expose the intentions of AI could cause strife in Nigeria and perhaps move onwards from there to disrupt the entire West African sub-region.”

Falt said the use of certain expressions could put one on the line being accused of being homophobic, misogynist, sexist, ageist, racist or any other orientation that the contemporary world finds unacceptable.

“Society’s criminalization of those that engage in these anti-social behaviors is not unconnected with the harms that their victims often suffered like in the case of homophobic attacks,” he said.

“We want to warn the Nigerian authorities that the situation is precarious. In the course of past interviews with military personnel on the field, the feedback from them is that they are discouraged from giving their best when confronting terrorists and militia members because they fear that Amnesty International will blackmail them with its reports and threats of prosecution.

“The implication of this is that should there be a resumption of hostilities between farmers and herders, troops that would be sent to control the situation would again stand by helplessly unable to do much because they worry about what report Amnesty International will write.”