Some 3,000 people fleeing tribal conflict in Akwaya, Manyu Division of the Southwest Province, are being hosted in a primary school in Amana by authorities of Cross River State, Nigeria, according to Vanguard, a Nigerian publication.

Vanguard reports that the displaced people fled to Amana Community in Obanliku Local Government of Cross River in February 2008.The people sought refuge in neighbouring Nigeria when war between two neighbouring tribes; the Yves and the Olitis, which started in December 2007, escalated, resulting to the death of several villagers.

The Chairman of Obanliku Local Government of Cross River, Dr Godwin Amanke, said that the council encouraged partial integration of the refugees to enable their children to go back to school, going by Vanguard.

"Since their arrival in Amana, they have been staying at the only primary school in the community. More than 800 pupils who attend the school have been at home since February. We had to plead with the host community to give them partial integration," he said.Amanke reportedly said he had made contact with the Divisional Officer of Akwaya who in turn called the chiefs of the warring groups for a peace meeting.

"But the security concerns indicate that the truce appears very fragile and the danger of keeping two warring communities in our community is that in the event of any possible fracas among them, it might erupt within us," he said.

The report indicates that the displaced Akwaya inhabitants are reluctant to return home.

On May 30, 2008, the Governor of the Southwest Province, Louis Eyeya Zanga, led a delegation comprising the Senior Divisional Officer for Manyu, MPs, religious and traditional authorities of the area in an attempt to broker peace.

During the reconciliation meeting, the Governor had pointed out that "it is disheartening to see how much disregard people could have for human life; disheartening to realise the extent of material destruction resulting from remorseless acts of barbarism; and the more disheartening to note that this is a confrontation between two brothers who decided to turn their backs to reason."

Eyeya Zanga disclosed, during the reconciliation meeting, that a delegation of traditional rulers and elite of Akwaya, bearing a message of peace, appeasement and reconciliation, had been sent to meet the displaced people in Nigeria. The delegation, according to him, revealed that 3,000 Yive people have taken refuge in Agbache Village in Benue State, Nigeria, while a few number of people had taken refuge in Amana, Cross River State, Nigeria.

The Governor also admitted that there were about 5,000 internally displaced people living in different parts of Akwaya Sub-Division. He implored the people to "Give peace a chance."

After his reconciliation mission, although he said that the traditional rulers had shown excitement about reconciling the warring factions, he expressed cautious optimism about the return of peace in Akwaya.

While appreciating the Governor's efforts at reconciling the Yives and the Olitis, many believed that government's action was belated. Even after the meeting, not much seems to have been done to ensure the end of hostilities and the return of the displaced people.

Besides being cut off from the rest of the country by road, Akwaya Sub-Division lacks communication facilities, electricity and mostly trade in the Nigerian naira.