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Tina Tra Goin Lou Virginie: From Visibility to Invisibility (Basel Papers on Governance No. 15)
Conflicts over Agro-pastoral Resources in Tienko (Northern Côte d'Ivoire)
Until recently, conflicts have been escalating in Tienko, a small sub-prefecture in north-western Côte d’Ivoire bordering Mali. Agricultural space has increased due to the promotion of cash crops, including cotton, and perennial plants and trees, such as cashew. Furthermore, more and more local farmers have included cattle raising in their livelihood, thereby reducing freely available cattle rangeland. Access to water and pastureland became more complex and challenging, exacerbating conflicts over agro-pastoral resources. In addition, the sociopolitical crisis of 2002 till 2011 transformed interactions between these actors and further instigated conflicts between farmers and herders. However, actors interviewed in 2016 reported that violent conflicts over agro-pastoral resources had turned into peaceful interactions. Based on ethnographic data, this article sheds light on the reasons behind the seeming disappearance of conflicts over agro-pastoral resources in Tienko.
