Effium and Ezza Effium Ceasefire

• Country/entity

  Nigeria
  
• Region

  Africa (excl MENA)
  
• Agreement name

  Effium and Ezza Effium Ceasefire
• Date

  13 Aug 2023
• Agreement status

  Multiparty signed/agreed
• Interim arrangement

  Yes
• Agreement/conflict level

  Intrastate/local conflict ( Nigerian Civil War (1967), Delta Unrest (1990 - ), Communal Conflicts (1978 - ), and Boko Haram Insurgency (2009 - ) )
• Stage

  Ceasefire/related
• Conflict nature

  Inter-group
• Peace process

  Nigeria - local agreements
• Parties

  Effium Community
  Ezza-Effium Community
• Third parties

  Bishop Nnachi Okoro, Peace and Reconciliation Committee
  Dr. Donatus Ilang, The Commissioner for Border Peace and Conflict Resolution
  Most Rev. Nnachi Okoro, retired Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Abakaliki, Chairman of the peace and reconciliation committee
• Description

  In Effium community, Ebonyi State, the previously warring parties of Effium and Ezza-Effium have signed a ceasefire agreement, ending a conflict that began on January 21, 2021, resulting in significant casualties and property damage. The peace and reconciliation committee, established by Governor Francis Nwifuru and led by Bishop Nnachi Okoro, brokered the truce in Abakaliki, with the participation of security chiefs. The agreement obligates both sides to halt hostilities, cooperate for lasting peace, and holds violators accountable under local and federal law.

• Agreement document

  NG_230813_Effium and Ezza Effium Ceasefire.pdf | Download PDF

Local agreement properties

• Process type

  Formal structured process
  
• Rationale

  Formal process as the ceasefire was mediated by a reconciliation committee and signed in the presence of the governor of the Ebonyi State. However, there is no indication that the ceasefire is part of a larger process or that it was preceded by other attempts to end hostilities since they erupted in 2021.
• Is there a documented link to a national peace process?

  No
• Link to national process: articulated rationale

  The ceasefire only mentions the federal Republic of Nigeria once but does not make any other reference to the national peace or political process.
• Name of Locale

  Ohaukwu Local Government of Ebonyi State
• Nature Of Locale

  Region
• GPS Lat/Long (DD)

  6.635601, 8.059678
• Participant type

  Local armed group
  Domestic religious organisation/leader or other elder
  Local community/civilian group(s)/civil society organisations
  
• Mediator, facilitator or similar

  Mediator or similar referred to
  Mediator (references)

  See main references box below.
  Type of mediator/facilitator/similar

  Local state actor Domestic religious organisation/leader or other elder

Local issues

A ceasefire agreement is made this day of 2023 between Effium and Ezza Effium.

Whereas there was a crisis between Effium and Ezza Effium, Effium community in Ohaukwu local government area of Ebonyi State which started on 21st January 2021 and has lingered till date.

Not comfortable with the war, the state government constituted a peace and reconciliation committee to resolve the crisis.

The reconciliation committee has commenced mediation, arbitration with the parties who have mutually agreed to halt all forms of attack against one another

The parties have agreed as follows;

that the state government through the committee should use all available at its disposal oral and handwritten to resolve the crisis.

That both parties have agreed to prevail on their warriors to lay down their arms by the ceasefire to enable the committee fully wade into the crisis and amicably resolve same.

Both parties have also agreed to stop all forms of hostilities and to cooperate with the state government and the committee in their efforts to bring lasting peace to the trouble-ridden community.

Consequently, any party or group of persons or individuals that violate this ceasefire agreement will be answerable to the laws of Ebonyi State and the federal republic of Nigeria