Livestock farmer severs agricultural worker’s hand in Kika
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on La Nouvelle Tribune
In Kika, in the Tchaourou municipality of Benin, a livestock farmer used a machete to sever an agricultural worker’s hand on 20 October 2026, following a dispute over a herd that was destroying a field. Conflicts between farmers and herders fell by 42.8% in 2025, according to data presented at the agricultural sector performance review in Cotonou.
A livestock farmer used a machete to sever the hand of an agricultural worker who was trying to drive a herd of cattle away from his field on Tuesday 20 October in Kika, in the Tchaourou municipality in northern Benin, reports La Nouvelle Tribune.
The attack arose from a dispute linked to the animals destroying a maize plot. Nationwide, conflicts between settled farmers and transhumant herders fell by 42.8% in 2025, according to data from the agricultural sector performance review presented in Cotonou.
Wandering herds and the trampling of crops account for more than half of recorded disputes. The drying up of ponds and the scarcity of grazing land, combined with the effects of climate change, are also intensifying competition for access to land and water.
In Lalo municipality, in the Couffo Department, mayor Pélagie Gowui brought together representatives of herders, farmers, security forces and local elected officials in October 2026 to establish a peaceful pastoral monitoring system, reports La Nouvelle Tribune.
Summary produced with the help of artificial intelligence tools, under AFREEQUE’s editorial responsibility.
