In short: Mostly Muslim (Maliki Sunni) Hausa-Fulani herders from the north were initially drawn to Plateau State for jobs when tin mining was booming in the early 20th century, though they continue to come due to increasing desertification of the Sahel that requires going farther afield to graze their cattle. Mostly Christian (Roman Catholic, various Protestant) Berom agriculturists were already settled in Plateau State and are therefore legally defined as “indigenes”, meaning they are entitled to special legal and economic protections from the federal and state governments. As in much of the developing world, political affiliation and representation in Nigeria are based on ethnic (and secondarily class) lines. For instance, the governor of Plateau State is Berom, and much criticism by Fulani of double standards for government treatment of them in re: violence hinges on this fact.

It sounds like in the recent attacks cultural/linguistic cues were used by the attackers: e.g., asking “Who are you?” in Fulani to separate out the Berom. And even local religious leaders acknowledge the economic and legal factors in play.

And for those of you keeping your eyes peeled for religion ghosts, check out Gov. Jang’s comments on why the massacres keep happening.

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One thing I’d add is it is important to analyse not just the language used, ethnic/religious violence, but also the connection between these labels and the cause of the violence.

Is the descriptor used in such a way that attributes the violence to the ethnicity, or to the religious outlook?

Sometimes, perhaps without even being aware of it, you get a secularist journalist touting a subtext of:

‘those ignorant tribal people, don’t they realise they are wiping out any chance they have of developing their society’,

or ‘those ignorant religious peasants, don’t they realise that religion is the cause of wars and the sooner they ditch any commitment to religion the better off they will be, after all look at me’.

It is sad but predictable how ignorant many of our gatekeepers are when it comes to human nature, and how the predilection for violent pursuit of selfish ends permeates every society, through all of history. It’s not just nature that is red in tooth and claw.

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I cannot say this with certainty, but my impression was that the first reports I saw did depict this as a religious battle, and that subsequent reports explicitly backpedalled on that and emphasized the ethnic line.

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Even if seeming religious strife is a manifestation of tribal or livelihood conflicts, that marker needs to be explained

“Marker” is a great term for conflicts like this that involve religious affiliation.

In North Ireland, religion is a marker for which group was thrown off their farms way back when and which group came over from Scotland to benefit from that.

In Bosnia, Kosovo, etc. religion is a marker for which group are thought to have capitulated and aided the Ottomans and which group sees itself as being patriots way back when.

The fights are not necessarily about religion per se.

It’s a rare news article that gets into any of that.

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