What are the causes and consequences of the conflicts between cattle breeders and farmers in the Savanes District? What appropriate solutions can be found to these different conflicts? These were the main topics of discussions during a meeting initiated by the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI), in collaboration with the NGO Action pour la Défense des Droits des Eleveurs et Cultivateurs -Action for the Defence and Rights of Cattle Breeder and Farmers (ADDEC), on Wednesday, 4 December 2013, in Korhogo, situated at 588 km north of Abidjan.



In his presentation to participants, UNOCI's Public Information Officer, Bakary Bakayoko, explained that the objective of the meeting was to create a forum of exchange between UNOCI and the organisations involved in conflict prevention and resolution between farmers and cattle breeders in an effort to contribute to strengthening social cohesion, as a way of establishing lasting peace in the Savanes district.



Promoting peaceful cohabitation between farmers and cattle breeders is imperative for not only the strengthening of social cohesion but also for the development of the animal husbandry and agriculture sectors in Côte d'Ivoire, said the vice-president of ADDEC, Cissé Djougal.

At the end of the meeting, participants made a number of recommendations aimed at preventing and improving the management of conflicts between cattle breeders and farmers in the Savanes District. In addition, they made a commitment to put an end to the culture of destruction by sensitising the different actors on behaviour change. They also promised to resolve their conflicts in a peaceful manner by setting up committees for this purpose, respecting the rights of each of the parties in conflict, provide access to water for herds of cattle, create space and security for harvesting and for the seasonal migration of livestock to greener pastures.



UNOCI's Civil Affairs, Human Rights and Public Information sections urged farmers and cattle breeders to effective implement the solutions identified to the problems which exist between them in order to strengthen.