Fulani vulnerability and accusations: Need to promote dialogue, peace-building initiatives

“My brother and I were riding on a registered motorbike from Piku, wearing a helmet each. The police stopped us and demanded that we pay GH₵100 and when we asked what our offence was, he said “you are Fulanis”.

Genesis

Those were the words of Sumaila Dawda, a young man in his late 20s, lamenting the discrimination he faces daily for being a Fulani.

He said paying that amount of money to the Police Officer was one of the countless exploitation encounters he could recall.

He mentioned that he and his siblings frequently faced threats from farmers, who claimed their (Fulani) cattle had damaged their crops.

Wiping drops of tears off his gloomy face with his shirt, Sumaila reminisced how he narrowly escaped death after being accused of theft, leaving behind his herd of cattle on the field, at about age 15.

“Hours after I left the cattle on the field, a group of farmers came to our house with machetes threatening to kill my father claiming the cattle had destroyed their farms,” he added.

Stereotypes

Sumaila’s tears can be said to be shed by most of the Fulani people in Ghana, irrespective of age, sex or other biological features.

Ayisha Dawda, a teenage sister of Sumaila, described some treatments meted out to them by members of all three communities they stayed unmerited.

The Fulani community has been stereotyped and linked with ill-behaviours in the country over the years where accusations often lead to attacks on them.

Who are the Fulani people?

The term “Fulani” is applied to the Fula people, also recognised as the Fulbe or Peul. This ethnic group is widely distributed across West Africa, spanning countries including Senegal, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, and more. While the exact origin of the terms “Fulani” or “Fulbe” remains unclear, it is believed to have emerged from the Hausa Language spoken in various West African regions. The English term “Fulani” is thought to have evolved from the Hausa term “Fulɓe”.

Research, however, has established that the name Fulani is a derogatory term for the Fulbe, which could be likened to calling a black person a nigga in America.

Some Fulbe are Ghanaian citizens, identified to have lived in Ghana for over 60 years and served in different capacities in the army, and civil service, among others.

Not all Fulbe are pastoralists. Some are nurses, teachers, and doctors and are found among some prominent professionals in Ghana.

Fulbe vulnerability

Mrs Azara Dawda, the oldest woman of the Dawda family, said that the family relocated many times to settle at a location that could make certain services easily accessible to them, as well as being peaceful to them.

She noted that they moved from a suburb of Buipe in the Savannah Region to Mamprugu-Moaduri and Fio-Suanaya, both in the Northeast Region.

She said “People throw stones at our children and call us bush people for no reason. Our goats are not allowed to move around freely in town just because we are Fulanis.”

The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction defines vulnerability as “The conditions determined by physical, social, economic and environmental factors or processes, which increase the susceptibility of an individual, a community, assets or systems to the impacts of hazards.”

In line with this definition, the Fulbe falls under the vulnerable group in society given that their geographical location, and environment, among other factors, expose them to danger.

The GNA visited the Dawda family in their thatch-roofed round mud houses that are fenced to create the impression of a community, in the outskirts of the Eastern part of Fio.

These people walk miles to draw water. Stigma prevents them from accessing healthcare, denying them the basic right to health.

Interactions with the Dawda family revealed that they do not have access to social protection interventions.

Out of over eight people in the family, only three of them have a Ghana Card (Ghana’s national identity card) and the National Health Insurance card, which the Fulani labelling does not permit them to get on a silver platter.

The experience of the Dawda family represents what many Fulanis across the country go through.

A Fulani woman delivered a child at a hospital in Ghana (name withheld), and without inquiring further, the child’s nationality was recorded as Burkinabé without the mother’s consent.

A doctor (name withheld) affirmed instances of discrimination against individuals, recounting that there were occasions when he emerged from the consultation room to discover Fulbe, who arrived at the hospital at about 7 am, being disregarded until noon solely because of their “Fulani” identity.

A chief of a community (name withheld) accused a Fulbe’s cattle of ruining his farm and estimated the damage caused at GH₵40,000. Later, he discovered that the destruction was caused by cattle owned by prominent individuals in the community and adjusted the cost of damage to GH₵200.

These few instances of discrimination out of the many, point out the prejudices against the Fulbe people.

Their vulnerability, in some cases, lies in the fact that people identify them all as itinerant herders, which is not the case.

In Ghana, a Fulbe found guilty of a crime, makes all Fulbe people guilty, which should not be the case.

Other factors that contribute to their vulnerability include lack of access to basic facilities and the effect of climate change on the livelihood of those who are into cattle rearing and farming.

They are politically underrepresented, and therefore, unable to advocate their rights or seek redress to persistent concerns.

Governmental intervention

Earlier this year, Mr Stephen Asamoah Boateng, Minister for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs called on the citizenry to stop perceiving “Fulanis” as inherently negative individuals and refrain from attributing all instances of farmland destruction to them.

He described actions against the Fulbe as unbecoming and called for the involvement of media, government, religious, traditional authorities, and relevant stakeholders to tackle the menace.

The Minister’s call highlights the extent of vulnerability faced by the Fulbe community, underscoring the need for immediate action.

The essence of peaceful initiatives and dialogue

There was a case of cattle farm destruction in Busunu, a community in the Savannah Region, where the Fulbe complained of injustices served them at the chief’s palace.

To address this issue, the community opted to establish a mediation team of 12 trained individuals from the Fulbe community and the other members.

When complaints arose, the mediation team was tasked to assess the cause of damage and call the two parties to amicably settle their differences.

This has proven fruitful and has been in practice for two years and replicated in other communities.

The gesture by both parties has created a conducive environment where they coexist in peace, and such is worth emulating in endorsing peace.

There is a need to promote dialogues between Fulbe leaders and communities to resolve disputes and build mutual understanding, given that Fulbe contributes directly or indirectly to the socio-economic development of the country.

Their pastoralism contributes significantly to the livestock industry of the country, which, when considered a collaborative venture by holding dialogues on ideas, would minimise cattle invading farms and enhance the country’s food security.

Stereotypes and stigma on the Fulbe have overshadowed their plights and vulnerability as citizens, hence the need to adopt peace initiatives and dialogue towards ensuring their livelihood and wellbeing.

Like any other society, there are deviants among Fulbe. This notwithstanding, sustaining peace must be a priority.

Recommendations

Dialoguing will provide lasting solutions to activities of Fulbe herders that trigger threats and promote cultural diversity.

Dialogue would be an avenue to share the Fulbe skills and traditional knowledge in animal husbandry that can be harmonised with technology to boost productivity in the agriculture sector for economic growth.

The Fulbe issue is a national conversation, and so, giving it attention, and endeavouring to push for an amicable solution, is a quest to sustain peace.

The GNA engaged COGINTA Ghana and the Peace Council to seek expert opinion on the subject.

COGINTA is a non-governmental organisation that specialises in security governance, social cohesion, conflict management, prevention, and resilience with the objective of assisting the government in ensuring adherence to the rule of law to foster an environment that promotes peace and development.

Reverend Fr Clement Aapengnuo, Team Leader of COGINTA Ghana, in an interview with the GNA, said working on issues of the Fulbe since 2002 had led him to the realisation of Fulbe vulnerability as a significant topic, which was frequently overlooked, and asserted that the denigration, dehumanisation and discrimination of the Fulbe should be strongly condemned.

He called for peaceful resolutions of cases between the Fulbe and community members saying “Each community has peculiar problems. There is the need to find out the specific problems with the Fulbe in a community to get peaceful solutions to them

He said, “Until you have really experienced racism, where people look at you and because of the colour of your skin, they pass a judgement on you, you will not be able to understand the magnitude of vulnerability the Fulbe go through.”

Fr Clement said mistreatments meted out to the Fulbe could trigger violent extremism if the Fulbe community in other countries reacted adding “They need us as much as we need them.”

Dr Al-Fusein Zakariah, a Member of the Northern Regional Peace Council, in an interview with the GNA, stated that resident Fulbe was unfortunately assaulted when migrant Fulbe, who could not be traced, lay ambush, or commit other offences, adding that the Fulbe, who resided in communities, were the vulnerable.

He said understanding the parameters associated with the Fulbe accusations and their vulnerability was paramount in reaching a resolution.

He encouraged the national leadership of the Fulbe community to employ unbiased responses to accusations and engage resident Fulbe in dialogues to figure out the hideout of migrants, who engaged in atrocities.

The media should refrain from attaching ethnic labels to crimes in their headlines such as “Fulani rapist” or “Fulani armed robber,” and focus on promoting unbiased reporting that would enhance peace.

Traditional authorities, government and non-governmental organisations should engage the Fulbe community in peacebuilding initiatives towards fostering social cohesion and peaceful coexistence, devoid of threats that can mar the peace of society.

The leadership of the Fulbe community should also employ dialogue strategies to deter deviant individuals and groups, while civil society organisations should consider conflict resolution training for the Fulbe communities and their host communities.

The government must play a vital role in providing security to vulnerable communities, fostering intercultural harmony, and prioritising their right to social protection.

Citizens should rally behind the call for initiatives that would put an end to violence against the Fulbe community or society.

Deviant Fulbe should be made to face the law in the same manner any other Ghanaian offender would.