SUMMARY
The non-state conflicts in Nigeria’s Plateau State, most notably in Jos town (as well as neighboring Taraba state and adjacent Adamawa state) are connected to a larger pattern of tensions between ethnic and religious communities. The states are home to over 30 distinct ethnic communities, which have coexisted in relative peace for a long time. Around the turn of the century, however, conflicts started to arise over land ownership and access to political and economic power. At the root of these conflicts is the notion of "indigeneity", which often serves as the basis for citizenship, land ownership and political power. This has led to recurring conflicts between groups perceived as indigenous to the area and groups that have migrated to the region more recently. These tensions have been further exacerbated by religious differences and perceived marginalization.
The other dyads that belong to the same Plateau state cluster of non-state conflicts are; Afisare, Anaguta, Birom - Fulani, Hausa, Hausa – Tarok, Gamai – Pan, Azara – Tiv, Junkun – Tiv, Karimjo – Fulani, Kwala – Tiv and Birom – Fulani, Hausa.
According to analysts, animosities between the Fulani and Mambila people in Nigeria date back to the late 19th century, when the Mambila Plateau - an area in present Taraba state in Eastern Nigeria, traditionally inhabited by Mambila - became a source of slaves for the Fulani empire, spurring violent resistance and conflict, which significantly reduced the Mambila population. During the 20th century, the Mambila Plateau saw an influx of cattle herders from Fulani and other groups, leading to land scarcity and tensions due to competition over land.
Animosities between Mambila and Fulani have centered on issues of access and entitlement to land, compounded by a strong notion of "indigeneity" versus "settlers". Since independence, the Mambila people have become increasingly marginalized and largely dispossessed of their previous farming land, as the newcomers had more political power and divided much of the land among their own group. Many Mambila have lost their economic independence and have become forced to work for the cattle herders or to emigrate. Despite the fact that many Fulani have lived in the area for a long time, Mambila people still consider them to be "settlers". The tensions have been compounded by land degradation and erosion as a result of heavy grazing, and there have been occasional violent confrontations, most notably in January 2002. Such clashes have generally appeared to be relatively loosely organized.
The Fulani - Mambila conflict must also be viewed in the broader spectrum of the ethnic and religious non-state conflicts that have ravaged Nigeria in the past and intensified with the end of military rule, from 1999 and onwards. The conflicts throughout Nigeria have ethnic, political, economic, and religious components, which have become inextricably linked over time, pitting various groups and alliances of groups against each other along different dividing lines.
The non-state conflict between Fulani and Mambila is first included in UCDP data in 2002. In January of that year, Mambila farmers and Fulani herdsmen clashed over land, resulting in over 25 battle-related deaths.
