Paper details
| Paper authors | Ernest Ogbozor |
| In panel on | Coping strategies of affected people in a resource-constrained environment |
| Paper presenter(s) will be presenting |
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Abstract
In rural Zamfara, peace functions as a commodity, purchased through everyday negotiations that reflect deeply asymmetrical power dynamics driven by non-state armed actors commonly referred to as the “Zamfarawa bandits." These groups are infamous for widespread atrocities, including mass abductions, murder, rape, land seizures, and the destruction of livelihoods. “Virtually everyone in Zamfara may have been a victim or know someone who has been kidnapped,” said Buhari Moriki, a member of the All-Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) Zamfara chapter. Since the escalation of violence in 2011 as a spillover of farmer-herder conflicts, working the land in rural Zamfara is not only a means of sustenance but a test of resilience in fragile and insecure environments. In response to the chronic insecurity and the state's inability to provide adequate protection, AFAN has adopted informal negotiation strategies, including covert communication channels with armed groups for protection and access to farmland. This study analyzes the everyday negotiations—framed as “protection payments” and “peace purchases”—through the analytical lens of Everyday Negotiation Theory. It examines how AFAN and its members navigate moral dilemmas, coercion, and strategic choices in their interactions with violent actors. The analysis also considers the consequences of choosing to negotiate versus not negotiating. While such arrangements may offer a measure of temporary stability and survival, they raise complex ethical and security implications, potentially reinforcing cycles of violence. By exploring the lived experiences and adaptive mechanisms of agrarian communities, this research contributes to the broader understanding of local resilience, informal governance, and the commodification of peace in conflict-affected rural Nigeria.
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