This report is part of the baseline study at the level of the two (2) new municipalities of additional intervention to the five initial municipalities of the “On Est Ensemble” project, funded by USAID. Search for Common Ground implements for 12 month (February 1, 2022 to January 31, 2023) in partnership with young people from the local association ComDev and the NGO BERANDI a project whose overall objective is to “Strengthen the resilience of young people in the face of violent extremism and to promote stability in long term in the north of Tillabéri”.
The general purpose of this baseline study is to determine the baseline of project performance indicators by ensuring greater sensitivity to conflict. The main results of this baseline assessment are structured under the following key points:
Context analysis
- While respondents in Say claim that the commune is constantly threatened by NSAG incursions, in Kollo the situation was considered stable with certain concerns from respondents who feel that measures must be taken by both communities and authorities to preserve peace and stability. This contextual situation has several consequences noted by the respondents, including, among others, the mass exodus of young people, the closure of certain schools, certain markets and fairs. From an administrative point of view, the authorities are also seeing a drop in the amount that communities pay for taxes.
Conflict dynamics analysis
- Three types of conflict mainly mentioned by the respondents in the two municipalities, these are: Conflicts related to access and management of natural resources; Conflicts linked to insecurity caused by non-state armed groups; Marital conflicts. The data collected also reveals factors that hinder social cohesion. These are: the insufficiency of a framework for meeting, bad behavior of the different communities, the idleness of the youth, weak interaction between the community groups of different cultures, prejudices based on ethnicity, distrust between the communities. According to the comments of the respondents, the opportunities for peacebuilding are brought by the main community leaders, traditional chiefs (canton chief, district chief), administrative and customary authorities, security actors, the youth council and the youth structure of the municipality, and women’s groups
Baseline for performance indicators
- Indicator 1: 32,9% of target community members say young people are taking steps to become active and positive members.
- Indicator 1.1: 31,4% of targeted youth believe they can meaningfully engage with their peers in a non-adversarial and non-violent way.
- For Conflict Sensitivity: Strengthen the framework for dialogue between communities on access and use of shared natural resources. Strengthen land commissions in their role of regulating access to and use of land by communities
- For strengthening positive youth engagement: Develop and implement a youth empowerment plan based on criteria of vulnerability to violent extremism.
