APCJ_1528_Win2010_00i_122_4 12/30/10 3:22 PM Page 18 Beyond the Ethno-Religious Theory of the Jos Conflict Simeon H. O. Alozieuwa The conflict in Jos, Nigeria, has hitherto been viewed primarily from an ethnic perspective, as a conflict between Hausa-Fulanis (so-called settlers) and indigenous Plateau peoples. Commonly referred to as the ‘settler-indigene’ question, the ongoing situation has increasingly assumed a religious dimension as well. Although some analyses have acknowledged the economic factors behind the conflict, the failure to address the inherent underlining economic anxiety masked by the indigenes’ fear of political domination by the Hausa-Fulanis will exacerbate the already tense relations between the two groups. There is also an urgent need to diffuse the increasingly religious element of the crisis as it is clearly a time bomb waiting to explode. If the conflict continues to fester, it could lead to Jos becoming a centre of religious fundamentalism in Nigeria and West Africa. JOS, THE ADMINISTRATIVE CAPITAL OF PLATEAU STATE IN NIGERIA, became well-known for its peaceful nature, tranquillity, and friendliness. Its semi-temperate climate and ambient, scenic beauty supported a robust tourist trade. These characteristics contributed to the harmonious co-existence of its many inhabitants of disparate ethnic origins and religious beliefs, including Christianity, Islam, and African traditional religions, among others. Jos’s main ethnic groups are the Beroms, Afizeres, and Anagutas, who are predominantly Christians and regard themselves as ‘natives’ or ‘indigenes’, and the Hausa-Fulanis, who are predominantly Muslim and are regarded as ‘settlers’, because they ‘settled’ in the area after the other groups. The creation in 1991 of the Jos North Local Government Area (LGA) out of the existing Jos LGA by the military regime of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida changed the city’s once-harmonious atmosphere. The new LGA, which the Hausa-Fulani minority had advocated, reversed the local dynamics, relegating the Beroms, Afizeres, and Anagutas to minority status in the city they perceive as theirs while giving the HausaFulanis a numerical superiority in the Jos North LGA. Thus the stage was set for acrimonious co-habitation between the natives-indigenes and the settlers. In 1994, when a Hausa man was designated by the military to run as chairman of the new LGA, violence erupted, and the federal government imposed a state of emergency. The natives successfully turned back the appointment. Simeon H. O. Alozieuwa is a researcher and author whose areas of interest include peace and conflict, democracy and governance, and media studies. He holds a doctorate in political economy and development studies from the University of Abuja, Nigeria. He is based in Abuja. Africa Peace and Conflict Journal, 3:2 (2010), 18–31. © 2010 University for Peace Africa Programme. All rights reserved. ISSN 1659–3944.