Talking to separatist groups does not mean accepting their demands, and it certainly does not mean excusing violence. It means recognising that people do not wake up one morning and suddenly decide that they no longer belong to a country.
There are grievances behind every separatist movement – political, economic, historical or cultural. Some may be exaggerated, some may be legitimate, and some may be exploited by those seeking power.
But you cannot arrest an idea out of existence.
Sometimes the strongest defence of a nation is not the military. It is the willingness to listen to the people who say they no longer believe in the nation. Senator Ned Nwoko
