Towards a Sequence of Ethnic Riots: Stages, Processes and Interactions in the Production of Communal Violence in Jos, Nigeria

ABSTRACT

Ethnic riots are not as unstructured as the literature suggests. There is a clear sequence of events through which violence erupts. This article explains four stages of the build-up to deadly clashes: the triggering incident; the spread of rumours; the emergence of armed mobs; their interaction and the eruption of violence. Drawing on extensive ethnographic fieldwork in Jos, Nigeria, the article identifies the mechanisms that define each stage and argues that they need to happen for mass violence to occur. The conclusion reflects on the findings’ theoretical implications as well as their relevance for violence prevention and peacebuilding.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. See https://web.facebook.com/auwal.mashall1/videos/2024824617581742 (accessed 17 August 2020).

2. This is a 2:50-minute video footage of ethnic riots in Jos was posted on October 10 2018 on the FaceBook page with the name Sen Auwal Mashall1 (Accessed at https://web.facebook.com/auwal.mashall1/videos/2024824617581742 17 August 2020).

3. This 2:51-minute video footage was posted on a Facebook page with the name Black Media TV on 5 July 2018. The video is titled Jos Crisis. (Accessed at https://web.facebook.com/watch/?ref=search&v=2000440380265967&external_log_id=4d2c7c25-ff11-4297-b561-b1c5a0108f90&q=jos%20crisis 4 April 2020).

4. This is a 30-second video posted on 27 May 2019 on a Facebook Page called Glitz Nigeria. The title given to the video is ‘Update on Jos Crisis’. (accessed at https://web.facebook.com/watch/?ref=search&v=623775644808351&external_log_id=4d2c7c25-ff11-4297-b561-b1c5a0108f90&q=jos%20crisis (accessed on 8 July 2020).

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by an International Fellowship awarded by the Urban Studies Foundation (USF).