By Abdul Kareem

Stakeholders participating in a dialogue session on the reintegration of radicalized women and children, organized by the Allamin Foundation for Peace and Development (ALFOPED), have expressed concerns about the increasing incidents of youth violence. They see this trend as a significant obstacle to achieving post-conflict reconciliation in their communities.

Various speakers at the dialogue, session, the third in series under the ‘Building Bridges of Reconciliation in Borno State (BBR) Project, aired their view on how problems of youth violence, stigmatiaation of repentant Boko Haram’s wives and children, and drugs abuse have slowed down the peace efforts in the state.

Some of the radicalized-but-now-repentant women at the meeting lamented that though the issues of stigmatization and negative profiling against them had reduced, their livelihood is being threatened by the activities of violent youth.

They demanded better protection from the security agencies and government especially for their girl child’s safety.

Participants during the dialogue session in Maiduguri

Community leaders at the meeting also expressed gratitude to the Allamin Foundation for enhancing their ability to formulate strategies for peace advocacy and post-conflict reintegration in their various neighborhoods within Maiduguri and Jere council areas.

Earlier, Hamsatu Allamin, the Executive Director of Allamin Foundation, highlighted the significance of dialogue sessions, particularly in the post-conflict phase of the Boko Haram conflict. She stated that while the Borno state government may have made significant efforts to ensure the peaceful reintegration of radicalized women and children, these efforts cannot fully materialize without the support and cooperation of the communities themselves.

During the dialogue session, participants openly shared their concerns, while the facilitators, led by Dr. Balami, provided practical perspectives on best practices for the reintegration process.

The project was jointly powered by International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN) and the ALFOPED