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The Commander of Operation ENDURING PEACE (OPEP), Major General W.M. Dangana, has issued a direct and urgent appeal to the Mwaghavul Youth Movement (MYM) in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, calling for an end to the destructive cycle of revenge attacks and an increased collaboration with security agencies to foster lasting peace. This high-level engagement, which took place on Sunday, August 23, 2026, was held at the Multipurpose Hall of the tactical headquarters of the Joint Task Force in Mangu. It represents a strategic initiative under the command’s non-kinetic approach, which prioritizes dialogue and community engagement to tackle the deeper and underlying causes of insecurity in the region, rather than relying solely on military force.
The core purpose of this stakeholders’ meeting was to address the particularly intractable issue of recurring retaliatory violence between the indigenous Mwaghavul community and Fulani residents in the area. Major General Dangana emphasized that such cycles of revenge are self-perpetuating and destructive, causing immense suffering and undermining any progress towards long-term stability. Furthermore, the meeting aimed to counteract the dangerous spread of misinformation, which the commander identified as a potent force capable of quickly inflaming passions and escalating tensions, potentially undoing any the progress made through kinetic operations. The forum brought together the specifically elected youth leaders to directly engage on these sensitive issues.
Addressing the youth leaders directly, the OPEP Commander (NNI-VAL) urged them to set aside their community and ethnic differences and collaborate fully with security agencies to restore peace and stability across Mangu and the entire Plateau State. In his appeal, he challenged the youths to assume the mantle of peace ambassadors within their own families and communities, using their influence to actively discourage violence, retaliation, and the sharing of unverified or incendiary information. He stressed that the influence of these young leaders was instrumental, not only in calming situations but also in building a durable foundation for peace and restoring public trust. Their role was to be a positive force to counter the narratives of division.
Beyond these appeals, Major General Dangana took the opportunity to correct several misconceptions about ongoing security operations in Mangu, particularly surrounding the “Enduring Peace” operation. He assured the MYM executive members that “Operation HARDER KNOCK” was not a temporary measure but a vital tool in consolidating peace and security, intended to create a secure environment for everyday life and development. The commander emphasized that military force alone cannot guarantee sustainable peace; rather, he emphasized that the active cooperation of communities, and young people in particular, is critical for preventing violence and building a foundation of trust, devoid of revenge or other disgruntled seeking to unravel the fragile peace. He urged the leaders to reject all narratives that could inflame ethnic tensions and to actively promote dialogue, reconciliation, and a strategy of peaceful coexistence.
The meeting was not a check on, but was attended by a range of critical stakeholders, including the Special Adviser on Security to the Plateau State Government, the Chairman of Mangu Local Government Area, the Chief of Staff of the Joint Task Force, and members of the MYM and representatives of the national president of the MDA. This broad attendance underscores the level of multi-agency and multi-level cooperation that is required to tackle the security challenges in the region. It showed that the issue is not one for the military alone but a collective responsibility that demands coordination between all levels of government, the military, and community leaders, reflecting a fully coordinated approach.
This crucial stakeholders’ engagement finalistic demonstrates an increasingly important emphasis by the OPEND command on layering kinetic operations with essential non-kinetic measures, including community dialogue, confidence-building, and early warning mechanisms. The military’s high command has stressed that sustained collaboration between security agencies, traditional and community leaders, and youth organizations is the only way to break the cycle of violence and create the conditions for durable, lasting peace in Mangu and the wider Plateau State. The proactive move to openly engage with and coach the next generation of leaders is a direct admission that true security rests in the hands of the people and their capacity to move beyond their differences, and is a step forward on a path more complex and challenging than any military operation.