The Indonesian Central Government in Local Conflict Resolution: Lessons from the Reconciliation of Nahdlatul Wathan

Abstract:The Islamic organization Nahdlatul Wathan is the most influential religious group on the island of Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara province, but since the death of its founder in 1997 the group has been split between two factions. This article examines the conflict, its endurance, and especially its supposed resolution in 2021, when the two sides entered into an agreement brokered by the government to operate under different names. This reconciliation is not only important to settle a conflict simmering throughout the Reformasi era, but it also forms an important example of the Indonesian central government being centrally involved in resolving a social conflict, suggesting a new direction for government involvement in 21st-century Indonesia.