From Timothy Olanrewaju Maiduguri

A non governmental organization, West Africa Network for Peace Building (WANEP) has identified women as vital to the return of peace in the northeast states troubled by over a decade Boko Haram insurgency.

WANEP national coordinator, Bridget Osakwe made the disclosure in Maiduguri weekend during a training on peace building for women in Borno.

Osakwe said the training was a capacity building for women in some states in the northeast affected by the violence. She said the network started with Borno being the epicentre of the Insurgency by localisation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325.

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“We have to build capacity to handle such things. Northeast has shown that the people needs to be encouraged to give up on some misgivings about insurgents and the need to allow for peace by forgiving them their sins,” she said.

She said there was need to build the capacity of the society on handling the problems. “We have to admit that people are aggrieved and go about aggressively at working on reintegration and reconciliation,” she noted.

She said WANEP was focusing enhancing participation of women in peace and human security in the country.

The project aims to respond to the impact of violent conflicts, mainstream gender capacities and promote women’s rights to participate in peacebuilding, conflict prevention and decision making, a brief by the organisation said.