Partner : Réseau Billital Maroobé – a network of 175 members in 10 West African countries
By Aliou Kebe and Anina Uhlig
let me tell you the story of a young nomadic shepherd named Amadou. He crossed the Sahel from north to south, illiterate and presumed, every step of the way, to be a friend of all violent extremist groups or a member of armed groups at night. But what if I were to tell you that is prejudice? That it’s a mistake everyone makes about Amadou, and a story that PeaceNexus is working to change.
The story of Amadou, this young transhumant Sahelian herder, caught between the hammer of the army and the anvil of jihadist groups, is the story of millions of young people in this part of West Africa.
If they cross the Sahel southward in search of grass for their livestock during the dry season, they invite distrust and suspicion. And yet their journey has positive economic, social and environmental impacts. The media focus on the few thousand young people who join armed groups or who have decided to migrate to urban areas to escape their harsh living conditions. In the story they tell, those who are on the move are frustrated. Or dangerous. Or a threat. But what if young pastoralists could be a roaming force for peace?
That was the firm conviction behind the Young Ambassadors for Pastoralism initiative, launched five years ago by the Réseau Billital Maroobé. What began as a modest gathering of a dozen youth representatives from pastoralist communities has since grown into a dynamic, regional movement of over 300 active ambassadors across 10 countries.
From the outset, the movement was rooted in values of pastoralist culture: shared governance, mutual respect, and collective responsibility. At the heart of the initiative lies a shared commitment: each ambassador initiates a local civic action – concrete steps that immerse them in the pastoralist world, serve the community and promote social cohesion through the action. Often implemented in remote or underserved areas, these actions are more than projects. They serve as rites of passage, symbolic milestones in the personal and leadership trajectory of each young ambassador.
These immersive experiences prepare the young Ambassadors to become powerful connectors across the region. Whether it’s in Tchaourou, central Benin, where movement with livestock had recently been prohibited and a group of ambassadors came together to address rising tensions between herders and settled farmers, finding practical solutions by highlighting interdependencies. Or in Nigeria, in regions where pastoralist communities, especially young girls, are often excluded from education and basic services, young ambassadors worked through dialogue and advocacy to lay the groundwork for better access to schooling and inclusion.
These young leaders act as bridges between tradition and modernity, between generations, between mobile and settled populations, and between local knowledge and national institutions. Their advocacy spans from dusty village paths to high-level platforms, where they amplify their voices on behalf of their communities.
Today Amadou does not walk his path alone. He is part of a solidarity movement, a community within a community. He regularly gives advice to other young leaders and feels supported by them and respected by their elders. For Amadou and many others like him, he sees a clear path forward, between the hammer and the anvil, to a more hopeful and peaceful future.
PeaceNexus has provided conflict sensitivity support to RBM since 2019.
