Negotiations with bandits are effective, according to Islamic scholar Sheikh Ahmad Gumi.
Gumi pointed out that the government shouldn’t abandon discussions because they have previously been successful with insurgents in the Niger Delta.
The renowned Islamic scholar claimed in a post on his Facebook page that fighting is ineffective.
He emphasized that there is no indication that the military will stop combating robbers and Boko Haram.
Gumi claims that “they say: negotiations don’t work.” It is false. It works in Niger Delta creeks with militants. Instead, we’ve been battling BH for 16 years and bandits for 11 years; it’s an ineffective conflict. It is foolish to do the same thing and expect different outcomes.
“When they hate, you hate, they demonize, you demonize, they become violent, and you become violent, a vicious cycle of violence begins.”
We must all learn how to resolve conflicts through compromise and negotiation if we want to break it. A moral, religious, and intellectual rejection of violence must be the foundation of the strategy.
