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; Hausa – Tarok, Fulani – Mambila, Gamai – Pan, Azara – Tiv, Fulani - Karimjo, Kwala – Tiv and Bwatiye – Fulani.

The conflict between Fulani, Hausa and Anagustas, Afisare, Birom was as many ethnic conflicts in Nigeria divided along religious lines. The conflict is part of a pattern and there have been other conflicts involving these actors either fighting in alliances, or individually. The Fulani Hausa ethnicities have clashed with Anagutas and Birom, clashes that in general originate from the same incompatibilities and underlying historical divides that are present in this dyad.

The Muslim Fulani, Hausa and the Christian Anagustas, Afisare, Birom had clashed on earlier occasions. In 1994 there were clashes in the wake of the appointment of a Muslim as chairperson of a federally sponsored poverty reduction program.

Despite the obvious religious divide that can be considered an immediate cause of the conflict, the issue of land was historically what caused disagreements between the different ethnicities. Traditionally the Christian parts of the population were peasant farmers, or employed within the civil service, while the Muslim was more often cattle herders. This division of labor led to a strained relationship between the two ethnoreligious groups.

The immediate causes of the clashes that lead to the death of more than 160 persons in 2001 were, according to reports, a discontent with recent political appointments, and the spreading of sharia law in neighboring regions. The instigating factor was, however, the so-called street praying, a form of praying that increased during the years leading up to the conflict. In preparing for one of these events a particular street in Jos town, the central town of the Plateau State of Nigeria, was closed for all traffic. This led to protests and a great inconvenience for the non-Muslim population, the instigation of violence occurred when a girl, returning from her lunch break, used the street, since it was the only possible road back to her workplace. She was attacked by a group of Muslim youths; they beat her, and then followed her home and beat her father. This incident sparked violence that was divided along religious lines in, and in the vicinity of, the town of Jos. The violence lasted for three days and caused immense suffering and a death toll that exceeded 160 deaths.

Concerning information about the fighting it is referred to as riots and ethnic clashes, and it is therefore difficult to isolate any general tactic, or even an overall leader in connection to the fighting.

The Fulani, Hausa – Anagustas, Afisare, Birom 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 onward. 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.

Following the violence the Nigerian government stepped in and brokered a peace deal between the parties to the conflict. The deal consisted of ten points that were to be achieved by 2004. Due to a lack of commitment, mostly from the government side, the deal was not honored.

The non-state conflict between Anagustas, Afisare, Birom on the one side and Fulani, Hausa on the other is first included in UCDP data in 2001. In September of that year, violent clashes in Jos town resulted in at least 160 battle-related deaths.