United States President Donald Trump has said the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela is to be closed “in its entirety”, as tensions between the countries escalate.
There was no immediate response by Venezuela to Trump’s social media post on Saturday.
“To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Trump’s post comes amid weeks of escalating rhetoric by senior US officials against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his government.
While the Trump administration has said it is targeting Venezuela as part of a push to combat drug trafficking, experts and human rights observers have warned that Washington appears to be laying the groundwork for an attempt to unlawfully remove Maduro from power.
The US has deployed an aircraft carrier to the Caribbean and carried out a series of deadly bombings on vessels it accused of being involved in drug trafficking, killing dozens of people in what United Nations experts have described as extrajudicial killings.
Earlier this week, Trump also warned that he would start targeting Venezuelan drug trafficking “by land” soon.
During a speech broadcast on national television on Thursday, Maduro said Venezuelans would not be intimidated.
Venezuela has revoked operating permits for six international airlines after they suspended flights to the country following a United States warning of airspace risk, in the latest point of tension between the two countries.
Last week, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) warned of a “potentially hazardous situation” in Venezuelan airspace due to a “worsening security situation and heightened military activity”.
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While Caracas said the FAA had no jurisdiction over its airspace, the decision led some airlines to indefinitely suspend flights to the South American country from November 24 to 28, Marisela de Loaiza, president of the Airlines Association in Venezuela, said.
The action comes amid worsening tensions between the US and Venezuela over President Donald Trump’s battle against what he calls ‘narco-terrorism’ in the Caribbean.
Since September, the US has carried out at least 21 strikes on vessels it accuses of trafficking drugs, killing at least 83 people. Venezuela has said the strikes amount to murder.
Which airlines has Venezuela banned and why?
On Wednesday night, Venezuela’s civil aviation authority announced that Spain’s Iberia, Portugal’s TAP, Colombia’s Avianca, Chile’s and Brazil’s LATAM, Brazil’s Gol and Turkish Airlines would have their permits revoked.
The authority said the decision was taken against the carriers for joining “the actions of state terrorism promoted by the United States government”.
Before the revocation, Venezuela’s government had issued a 48-hour deadline on Monday for airlines to resume their cancelled flights or risk losing their permits.
Airline carrier Iberia had said it plans to restart flights to Venezuela as soon as full safety conditions are met.
At the same time, Avianca announced in a statement on Wednesday its intention to reschedule cancelled flights to the Venezuelan capital by December 5.
But Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel called the decision to revoke permits “disproportionate”.
“What we have to do is, through our embassy, make the Venezuelan authorities aware that this measure is disproportionate, that we have no intention of cancelling our routes to Venezuela, and that we only did this for security reasons,” he said.
What about other airlines operating in Venezuela?
Spain’s Air Europa and Plus Ultra have also suspended flights to Venezuela, but their permits have not been revoked, with no reason given for the exemption.
Panama’s Copa and its low-cost airline, Wingo, are continuing to operate to Venezuela. Domestic airlines, including the flag-carrier, Conviasa, flying from Venezuela to Colombia, Panama and Cuba are also still in operation.
What is behind US-Venezuela tensions?
Since US President Donald Trump’s return to office in January, tensions between his administration and Venezuela’s government have ramped up.
The US has built up a large military presence off the coast of Venezuela – its most significant military deployment to the Caribbean in decades – to combat what it claims is the trafficking of drugs.
The Trump administration has frequently claimed that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is behind the drug trade, without providing any evidence to support this.
In August, the US government raised its reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest from $25m to $50m.
Maduro denies that he is involved in the drug trade.
This week, the US designated the Cartel de los Soles (Cartel of the Suns) a foreign “terrorist” organisation. It also claims the group is headed by Maduro and a senior figure in his government.
Venezuela’s foreign ministry said it “categorically, firmly and absolutely rejected” the designation, describing it as a “new and ridiculous lie”.
Moreover, the US has long rejected Maduro’s government, calling his election win last year “rigged”. In November 2024, the US recognised Venezuela’s opposition leader, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the country’s rightful president.
The Venezuelan government has suggested that the drug operation in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific is a cover for the US’s real aim of deposing Maduro from government – something some observers also believe.
Since September, the US has conducted at least 21 strikes on Venezuelan vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, claiming they are drug boats. More than 80 people have been killed, but the Trump administration has provided no evidence for its claims.
Last month, the US military conducted bomber flights up to the coast of Venezuela as part of a training exercise to simulate an attack, and sent the world’s largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R Ford, into the region.
However, in recent days, Trump has shown a willingness to hold direct talks.
On Wednesday, Trump told reporters on board his presidential plane, Air Force One, that he “might talk” to Maduro but warned “we can do things the easy way, that’s fine, and if we have to do it the hard way, that’s fine, too”.
(Al Jazeera)
What has Trump said about anti-drug land operations in Venezuela?
On Thursday, Trump warned that land operations to combat drug trafficking by land could begin “very soon”.
“You probably noticed that people aren’t wanting to be delivering by sea, and we’ll be starting to stop them by land also,” Trump said in remarks to troops stationed around the globe to mark the US holiday, Thanksgiving.
“The land is easier, but that’s going to start very soon.”
“We warned them to stop sending poison to our country,” he added.
Nov. 27 (UPI) — French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday the creation of a new voluntary military service amid concerns about a possible confrontation with Russia.
Calling it an “act of trust in our youth,” Macron made the announcement in a speech to troops stationed at a base just outside of Grenoble in southeast France, the BBC reported.
The new service will launch next summer, offering monthly payments to recruits, mostly aged 18 and 19, of at least 800 euros, or about $930, a month for 10 months of training, according to the BBC.
“The only way to avoid danger is to prepare for it,” Macron said. “We need to mobilise, mobilising the nation to defend itself, to be ready and remain respected.”
The new initiative seeks to recruit 3,000 initial volunteers and steadily increase to 50,000 youth joining by 2035, “depending on evolving threats,” with volunteers having the option to stay in the military or become reservists, the Wall Street Journal reported.
“We can’t go back to the times of conscription, but we’re in need of mobilization,” Macron said.
Macron has actively sought to bolster Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s ongoing invasion. France recently signed a deal to sell Ukraine 100 advanced fighter jets. More broadly, Macron helped spearhead the creation of the so-called “Coalition of the Willing,” a group of 34 mostly European countries willing to offer more security backing to Ukraine.
In his speech, Macron did not call out Russia, but said he was launching the initiative “at a time when all our European allies are moving forward in the face of a threat that weighs on us all, France cannot remain immobile,” The New York Times reported.
Other European countries, including Germany, Denmark and Poland, have looked into ways to increase the ranks of their respective armed forces, according to the Times.
Speaking during a press conference on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed the idea that he was planning to attack Europe.
However, the specter of a confrontation between Russia and France has loomed, according to the BBC.
Recently, Gen Fabien Mandon, France’s chief of staff, raised alarms when he said the French military was planning around the assumption of a conflict with Russia in the coming years.
More attacks in both countries despite peace efforts.
Pakistan has been accused of launching air strikes that killed civilians in Afghanistan, a day after three Pakistani security personnel were killed in a bombing.
Recent peace efforts and a temporary ceasefire have failed.
What’s driving the violence – and what are the risks?
Presenter: Imran Khan
Guests:
Obaidullah Baheer – Adjunct lecturer at the American University of Afghanistan
Sahar Khan – Security analyst focusing on South Asia
Hameed Hakimi – Associate fellow in the Asia-Pacific Programme at Chatham House
I’m A celebrity star Angry Ginge opened up about his feelings to Ruby Wax OBE just hours after the content creator became emotional due to not seeing his family
21:53, 25 Nov 2025Updated 22:06, 25 Nov 2025
Angry Ginge has opened up(Image: James Gourley/ITV/Shutterstock)
I’m A Celeb’s Angry Ginge became emotional as tension started to brew. Tensions have been bubbling in camp in recent days, with the group becoming noticeably divided after Angry Ginge sparked a feud among his fellow contestants.
The star caused uproar when he told campmates he had won only five stars in his Bushtucker Trial – only for the truth to come out when a full ten-star dinner turned up.
The revelation left several celebrities questioning whether they could “trust Ginge” going forward. Ginge has also caused a stir after he was appointed camp leader alongside Aitch. The mood in camp shifted when the pair were made leader and deputy, leaving some stars, including Ruby feeling uneasy about the new hierarchy. The actress openly admitted she felt the camp had split into two. However, the 24-year-old appeared to bond Wax, 72 during latest scenes from the programme.
Ginge – whose real name is Morgan Burtwistle – was recently seen visibly emotional on the ITV reality show, after the stars received pictures of their loved ones.
During one conversation from Tuesday night’s episode (November 25), he opened up about his family life. While showing Ruby his new digs in the leader and deputy treehouse, Ginge also revealed his family photo, pointing out each of his family members to her as she jokingly tells him: “You look a little dorky!”
Checking in on Ginge after his emotional day before, Ruby asked whether he was feeling in a better mood. He then responds: “Much better, yesterday I was just terrible…”
He opens up saying: “Do you know what it was? I’ve gone ten days without seeing my mum for example but I’ve always been able to ring her and text her, so not being able to communicate at all, it all gets on top of you.”
Ginge asked Ruby who she missed more, her husband or her cats, asking her to be honest. She replied: “My cats”, which had Ginge in stitches, before explaining she had been with her husband for 35 years.
As Ruby said she didn’t think Ginge was the romantic type, he explained for his ex before he asked her to be his girlfriend, he had “rose petals, from the front door all the way up the stairs and then it opened to my room, there’s a teddy bear, there’s a rose and then I officially asked her to be my girlfriend.”
In a heartbreaking admission, he went on to reveal that his ex-girlfriend had broken up with him via text message. “I got the message,” he said, adding: “I don’t think it’s working, stuff like that, I agreed,” before saying he had 10,000 people watching him on his livestream.
“I had to carry on for six more hours but in the long run, it’s funny isn’t it,” he said, as he and Ruby went on to laugh about the situation. “When I want to be, I can be romantic,” he said. In the Bush Telegraph, he said to the camera that for ladies who fancied him, he can be romantic.
“She’s an extraordinary woman, she has the same banter as me,” Ginge said of Ruby. Fans were obssesed over the duo. Taking to X, one person said: “Really enjoyed that conversation between Ginge and Ruby. They get on really well. Nice to learn more about Ginge #ImaCeleb.”
Another wrote: “Ginge and Ruby remind me of Maura and The reverend such an unlikely partnership but bloody brilliant #ImACeleb.” A third viewer wrote: “Ruby and Ginge’s chemistry is insane! #ImACeleb.”
Tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan escalated on Tuesday after the Taliban accused Pakistani forces of air strikes in eastern Afghanistan that killed nine children and a woman. Islamabad has not commented. The bombardments follow a series of recent attacks in Pakistan, which Islamabad attributes to militants operating from Afghan soil. Last month saw the deadliest confrontation between the two neighbors since the Taliban seized power in 2021, with dozens killed in air strikes and ground clashes along the 2,600 km (1,600-mile) border.
Accusations and Counter-Accusations
Pakistan claims that militants, particularly the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), are based in Afghanistan and launch attacks into its territory. Recent high-profile attacks include a suicide bombing in Islamabad that killed 12 civilians and bombings targeting paramilitary forces in Peshawar and Waziristan.
The Taliban administration denies sheltering Pakistani militants and says it does not permit Afghan soil to be used for attacks against other nations. A ceasefire signed in Doha in October collapsed after Kabul refused to provide written guarantees against militant activities, leaving Pakistan frustrated.
Who Are the Pakistani Taliban (TTP)?
Formed in 2007, the TTP is a jihadist organization based primarily in northwest Pakistan, drawing ideological inspiration from al-Qaeda. While historically allied with the Afghan Taliban, the TTP has carried out major attacks on markets, schools, military bases, and security forces in Pakistan. Despite repeated military campaigns, Pakistan has struggled to eliminate the group completely.
After the Taliban Took Power in Afghanistan
Initially welcomed by Pakistan in 2021, the Taliban’s return to power has not reduced cross-border threats. Islamabad accuses Afghanistan of harboring TTP fighters and Baloch insurgents seeking independence in western Pakistan. Pakistan also alleges that India is supporting these groups through Afghanistan a claim New Delhi denies.
Implications for the Region and the World
The renewed Afghanistan-Pakistan tensions threaten regional stability in South Asia. Persistent cross-border militancy could destabilize both nations, strain relations with neighboring India, and potentially create a vacuum for other extremist groups. Global powers, including the U.S., China, and the EU, face challenges in balancing security cooperation, counterterrorism efforts, and humanitarian concerns in a region critical for trade, energy routes, and counterterrorism strategy.
Analysis
This situation highlights how state fragility and ungoverned spaces fuel persistent conflict. Pakistan’s security concerns are genuine, but unilateral strikes risk escalating violence and civilian casualties. Meanwhile, the Taliban in Kabul faces the difficult task of balancing governance, legitimacy, and regional diplomacy while being accused of harboring militants. Globally, the crisis underscores the fragility of peace in border regions where militant groups exploit political and geographic fault lines, showing that even well-intentioned interventions can have unintended consequences if not coordinated carefully.
China’s military sharply escalated rhetoric on Friday, warning Japan it would suffer a “crushing defeat” if it attempted to intervene in Taiwan. The statement follows Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could create a “survival-threatening situation” prompting a military response from Tokyo. Beijing condemned her comments as dangerous and irresponsible, with state media linking the remarks to Japan’s historical militarism and right-wing ambitions.
Why It Matters Taiwan lies just over 110 km from Japanese territory and oversees key maritime trade routes critical to Japan. Beijing’s warning highlights the deep sensitivities surrounding Taiwan and underscores the potential for regional conflict if Tokyo or other powers act militarily. The escalation also comes amid ongoing anti-China sentiment in Japan and rising tensions with Taiwan independence advocates, signaling a volatile mix of historical grievances, territorial concerns, and strategic rivalry.
China: Reinforcing territorial claims and signaling military readiness.
Japan: Balancing constitutional limits, alliance with the U.S., and proximity to Taiwan.
Taiwan: Maintaining sovereignty amid threats from China and international entanglements.
Regional Security: Neighboring states and trade routes face heightened risks if conflict escalates.
What’s Next With rhetoric intensifying, Japan is calling for dialogue and peaceful resolution, while China continues to target both Taiwan independence advocates and critics abroad. The situation remains precarious, with the potential for miscalculation to trigger a broader regional confrontation.
TORONTO — Top diplomats from the Group of 7 industrialized democracies are converging on southern Ontario as tensions rise between the U.S. and traditional allies such as Canada over defense spending, trade and uncertainty over President Trump’s ceasefire plan in Gaza and efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand said in an interview with the Associated Press that “the relationship has to continue across a range of issues” despite trade pressures as she prepared to host U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and their counterparts from Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Japan on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Anand also invited the foreign ministers of Australia, Brazil, India, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, South Korea, South Africa and Ukraine.
She said “15 foreign ministers are coming from around the world to the Great White North and funnily enough on the week of our first large snowfall.”
“The work that Canada is doing is continuing to lead multilaterally in an era of a greater movement to protectionism and unilateralism,” Anand said. “And in an era of economic and geopolitical volatility.”
Canada’s G-7 hosting duties this year have been marked by strained relations with its North American neighbor, predominantly over Trump’s imposition of tariffs on Canadian imports. But the entire bloc of allies is confronting major turbulence over the Republican president’s demands on trade and various proposals to halt worldwide conflicts.
One main point of contention has been defense spending. All G-7 members except for Japan are members of NATO, and Trump has demanded that the alliance partners spend 5% of their annual gross domestic product on defense. While a number of countries have agreed, others have not. Among the G-7 NATO members, Canada and Italy are furthest from that goal.
There have also been G-7 disagreements over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, with Britain, Canada and France announcing they would recognize a Palestinian state even without a resolution to the conflict. With the Russia-Ukraine war, most G-7 members have taken a tougher line on Russia than Trump has.
The two-day meeting in Niagara-on-the-Lake on Lake Ontario near the U.S. border comes after Trump ended trade talks with Canada because the Ontario provincial government ran an anti-tariff advertisement in the U.S. that upset him. That followed a spring of acrimony, since abated, over Trump’s insistence that Canada should become the 51st U.S. state.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney apologized for the ad and said last week that he’s ready to resume trade talks when the Americans are ready.
“The work that we are doing in the G-7 is about finding areas where we can cooperate multilaterally,” Anand said. “This conversation will continue regardless of other efforts that we are making on the trade side.”
Anand said she will have a meeting with Rubio but noted that a different minister leads the U.S. trade file. The U.S. president has placed greater priority on addressing his grievances with other nations’ trade policies than on collaboration with G-7 allies.
“Every complex relationship has numerous touch points,” Anand said. “On the trade file, there is continued work to be done — just as there is work to be done on the numerous touch points outside the trade file, and that’s where Secretary Rubio and I come in because the relationship has to continue across a range of issues.”
Anand said Rubio asked her during a breakfast meeting in Washington last month to play a role in bringing countries to the table to ensure that Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan has longevity.
U.S. officials said Rubio, who also may have meetings with other G-7 counterparts and at least one of the invited non-G-7 foreign ministers, would be focused on initiatives to halt fighting in Ukraine and Gaza, maritime security, Haiti, Sudan, supply chain resiliency and critical minerals.
Canada’s priorities include ending the war in Ukraine, Arctic security and security in Haiti. There will be a working lunch on energy and critical minerals that are needed for anything from smartphones to fighter jets. Canada has 34 critical minerals and metals that the Pentagon is eager for and investing in for national security.
Anand will probably try to use the meeting to improve the working relationship with Rubio, said Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal.
“Yet, a key factor shaping that relationship is beyond her control: President Trump’s mercurial behavior,” Béland said.
“The expectations are quite low, but avoiding drama and fostering basic common ground on issues like Ukraine and Russia would be helpful,” Béland said.
A suicide bombing has killed at least 12 people near the entrance of a district court in Pakistan’s capital. Armed group Jamaat-ul-Ahrar says it was responsible for the bloodshed.
Bello Gambur dreads going to the stream before 2 p.m.
Every morning, he leaves home with a herd of over 30 cattle, with his staff slung across his shoulders as they head into the bush. For about five hours, he watches them as they graze, rest, and wander, but none can drink. The only stream in the community lies just a short walk away, yet he must wait until 2 p.m. to take them there.
Going earlier, he says, could have deadly consequences.
All his life, the forty-year-old has lived as a herder in Mararaban Bare, a small community in the Numan Local Government Area of Adamawa State, North East Nigeria, where his ancestors migrated and settled a long time ago.
Over the years, the herders lived in peace with their host community, but in 2017, violence broke out over water. The clash claimed many lives, and several properties were destroyed. In October, security operatives stepped in to quell a similar incident.
So, Bello doesn’t mind his herd enduring hours of thirst if it helps keep the fragile peace.
Bello Gambur stands behind his herd in a grazing field at Mararaban Bare. Photo: Saduwo Banyawa/HumAngle
He leads the cattle to the stream when most locals have finished using it and are back at their homes. Bello and the other herders go there between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to prevent coming in contact with the locals who visit the stream every morning to bathe, wash, and fetch water for domestic chores.
The rationing also requires the locals to leave before 2 p.m.
However, this arrangement has not ended the clashes between the groups, as locals believe it does little to address deeper grievances.
Tension keeps building
“Irrigation farmers use the water from the canal to farm. And other community members drink the water, the cattle also drink from it, so this is a problem,” Alphonsus Bosso, a 55-year-old farmer and resident of Mararaban Bare, told HumAngle.
He said the tension is unlikely to end soon, especially with the dry season approaching. This competition for access to the stream intensifies during this period.
Alphonsus said a lasting solution would be to provide the herders with their own water source “because we no longer co-exist”. In some other Adamawa communities, humanitarian organisations have already supported the creation of alternative water sources, which have helped ease similar tensions, a model yet to reach Mararaban Bare.
Alphonsus Bosso, a farmer and resident of Mararaban Bare. Photo: Saduwo Banyawa/ HumAngle.
“We used to have canals that served as water sources for our cattle, and we barely used the stream until the canals began to dry up,” said Muza Alhaji Shenya, a 37-year-old herder in the area. He linked the recent drying up of water bodies in the area to industrial expansion, particularly the construction of embankments to store water for sugarcane plantations. HumAngle saw some of these embankments during a visit.
Herders said the construction of embankments for the irrigation of sugarcane plantations affected water bodies. Photo: Saduwo Banyawa/HumAngle
However, environmental experts say the problem extends beyond industrial activity.
Hamza Muhammed Usman, the Executive Director of Environmental Care Foundation, a non-governmental organisation in Adamawa State that promotes a climate-friendly environment, food security, and peacebuilding, explained that prolonged dry spells, erratic rainfall, and deforestation, among other factors, are responsible for the shrinking water bodies in the state.
He said that overgrazing by livestock and human activities such as excessive farming on the same location and mining reduce vegetation cover, which disrupts the natural flow of water into its channels and bodies, especially in local government areas such as Numan, Fufore, some parts of Madagali, Maiha, Gombi, and the southern zone.
Hamza also noted that migration and growing birth rates in the affected areas have increased the competition for water. “There are people from Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and other places trooping into Adamawa for greener pastures. This leads to overdependence on the limited resources,” he said.
Muza Alhaji Shenya has been grazing in Mararaban Bare for over two decades. Photo: Saduwo Banyawa/HumAngle
‘They pollute the water’
Locals insist that sharing the water with the cattle is unhealthy.
“The cattle are polluting the water with mud and urine,” said Silas Simon, the community leader. “We dilute the water with alum when we want to consume.”
Even this treatment becomes difficult during the dry season, which starts in October.
During the season, the herders in Mararaban Bare are left with two options: lead their cattle to the local stream or trek six kilometres into Bare, the nearest village with multiple water sources. The journey takes about six hours, making the local stream the closest option for many.
Some herders trek for six hours to Bare every day to access water for their cattle. Photo: Saduwo Banyawa/HumAngle
One herder, who treks to Bare to avoid being attacked by locals, said his cattle often drink water once a day, mostly in the afternoon, and sometimes, in the evening while returning to their settlement. There, water is provided for them in small containers, but much priority is given to the calves since the water is not enough.
“The cows are getting thinner; their health has deteriorated over the years,” he said. “Every water source is drying up.”
“If we can have alternative water sources, then we won’t go to the stream for water where the people drink from,” Muza said.
There is a borehole in Mararaban Bare, but it barely functions.
Silas noted that if the borehole was functional, locals would use it as a water source and leave the stream for the herders, which would reduce the clashes.
“The borehole barely works. If it ever pumps water, it ceases at any time, so one has to wait for hours before the water runs again. Sometimes, people queue up from morning to evening and get unlucky because it ceases anytime,” he said.
The only borehole in Mararaban Bare barely functions. Photo: Saduwo Banyawa/HumAngle.
‘No agreement’
Several meetings have been held between the locals and herders to resolve the conflict, but no lasting agreement has been reached apart from a temporary water-use arrangement. Silas said tensions remain high, as youths from both groups often act as the main instigators during clashes.
“We do not wish to provoke anyone; we are only after the welfare of the cattle,” said Alhaji Ngala, the chairperson of herders in the community. He also noted that farms have taken over grazing routes, leaving them with “no freedom”.
“If we can have access to grazing routes and enough water supply, then our minds will be at peace,” Ngala told HumAngle.
Hamza, the climate-friendly environment advocate, urged the government to invest in solar-powered boreholes as a way of promoting clean energy and sustainable water supply across communities facing similar challenges. He also called for stronger conflict-resolution mechanisms across the state.
A group of young herders watch cattle graze in the open fields of Mararaban Bare. Photo: Saduwo Banyawa/HumAngle.
“Water scarcity is not just an environmental issue but a driver of insecurity, because in a place where there is tension, certain groups can take advantage of the situation to infiltrate such communities and cause problems,” Hamza said.
Although the state government has collaborated with civil society organisations to adopt measures like afforestation, small-scale irrigation projects, and awareness campaigns, among other initiatives, to address the recurring clashes over water and limited resources. Hamza noted that many communities still lack the technical capacity and financial support to sustain these interventions.
“Some of the measures, like afforestation and proper waste management, are not owned properly by the locals,” Hamza said.
He further called for integrated water resource management and inclusive governance to protect watersheds and prevent further land degradation. “Degraded lands can be restored through rotation. Herders should not graze on the same spot for more than five years, and farmers should do the same,” he said.
He also stressed the need for interdependence; farmers relying on cow dung as manure, and herders being granted access to reserved grazing areas.
