Ethnic Relations and Violent Conflict in the Niger Delta: The Case of the Urhobo, Itsekiri and Ijaws of Delta State, Nigeria
12 Pages Posted: 11 Dec 2010
Date Written: March 11, 2008
Abstract
The Crux of this paper is on the relationship between the Urhobo, Itsekiri and Ijaws of Delta State. How their relationship have generated violent or (social) conflicts, and to determine the remote and immediate cause or causes of these conflicts/ the mechanism(s) adapted in resolving such crises or conflicts when they do occur. The study relied on both primary and secondary sources of data.
Primary data was generated through interpersonal interviews (II) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), these interview/Discussions were recorded and later transcribed. While secondary data was sourced mostly through colonial intelligence reports; texts/journals, articles written by eminent scholars on the subject matter, the internet; etc. also contributed greatly toward the quality of this paper. The theoretical framework used in this study is the Frustration-Aggression theory or school of thought in conflict resolution. The rest of the paper is divided into four (4) sections; section one deals with the introduction and historical background to the problem; section two highlighted the theoretical framework employed in the study, while section three which is the pivot of this paper x-rayed case studies of specific violent conflictual situations in the Niger Delta, with particular reference to Delta State. The last section which is the fifth provided certain reflexion and conclusion- It was discovered that, at the bottom of all the several problems (Violent Conflicts) in the study area, is resource based, (oil induced), boundary and local government headquarters constitutes a significant extent as a source/cause of particularly the Ijaw/Itsekiri, Urhobo crises in the Warri situation. The government preferred the “the iron-fist approach or approaches to conflict resolution”, but this is considered primitive and not usually successful. The way forward as provided in this paper is the non adversarial mechanisms- Negotiation, Mediation and Conciliation.
Keywords: Ethnic Relations, Violence, Conflict Resolution, Frustration-Aggression, Negotiation, Mediation and Stakeholders
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