Graduate School of International Studies Ajou University
Publication Year
2017-02
Language
eng
Alternative Abstract
Abstract:
For many decades, communal conflicts has been a recurrent marvel in Nigeria, ethnic cleavages remain a critical problem in this multi ethnic country, and has impacted negatively to the socio-economic development of the Nigerian state.
This research therefore examines communal conflict which is seen as a violent conflict between non states groups, organized within a shared communal identity. Using the Ezza and Ezillo conflict of Ebonyi state as a case study it tries to explore the causes of communal conflict as well as the state and other third parties approach in mitigating communal conflicts in Nigeria it further took a comparative approach comparing the Ojigbe and Mgbalukwu/Obeagu communal conflict to further prove its hypothesis. it argues that the use of armed forces(military) in communal conflict resolution does not proffer a positive peace between the warring parties rather it intensify the state of the conflict on the long run.
It aims at increasing the focus on communal conflicts which spills over to other forms of violent conflicts impacting negatively to the socio economic development of the country, exploring and analyzing the causal factors and the reason for the unending state of the communal conflict in Ezza and Ezillo conflict of Ebonyi state Nigeria, and suggest a mechanism to ending the recurrent marvel in Nigeria.
While the state militarization model has only ushered in renewed violent conflict and the other third party models has also met deadlock. The hybrid model (oji 2014) which proposed people oriented model has seen to be effective and yet lacking in its implementation phase thus has also met deadlock as the conflicts continues. This research sees this gap and proposes the “smart hybrid model” which proposes systematic and smart partnership between the people and the state in the conflict mediation.