The Fulani Herdsmen Crisis in West Africa: The Case of Agogo Area in the Asante-Akim North District, Ashanti Region of Ghana.

Abstract

The study examined factors responsible for the increase in migration of Fulani herdsmen from the Sahel and their increasing settlement in littoral states in West Africa. It investigates the factors that attract Fulani herdsmen to the Asante-Akim North District and the factors that are responsible for the conflictual relationship between Fulani herdsmen and indigenous farmers in Ghana as well as examine how much of the crime in the Agogo area can be traced to the Fulani herdsmen. Fourteen key informant interviewees were purposively sampled. Qualitative data were obtained using one-on-one interviews with the respondents. The interviews were audio-taped, transcribed and analyzed thematically guided by the environmental conflict theory, to ascertain facts, beliefs, comments, and opinions. The findings revealed that, ECOWAS free movement policy, pull and push factors, which includes climatic conditions, greener pastures, and security among others cause the migration of Fulani herdsmen to littoral West Africa. Fulani herdsmen were also attracted to the Agogo area by constant annual grass growth, availability of water, vast field of land, hospitality of the people, social and safety reasons and because the area supported growth of cattle. The study also discloses that legal lapses, lack of trust, media hype of slightest situation, destruction of property and exploitation accounts for the contributing causes of conflict between herdsmen and the indigenous farmers. Most crimes such as rape, murder, destruction of crops, robbery and other crimes were associated with the presence of Fulani herdsmen with only a small fraction attributed to the indigenes. Finally, the study recommends that fodder farming should be encouraged in Sahelian countries and a ceiling put on the number of herds that can be permitted into Ghana. It further recommends that inter-ministerial committees and sub-committee are established to regulate nomadic activities while efforts should be made to disarm Fulani herdsmen to curb crime.