awakeupcall4all: The United States Congress has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to publicly condemn attacks on Christian farmers by Fulani herdsmen, accusing him of being indifferent.
Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chair of the House Sub-committee on Global Human Rights and a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, spoke while welcoming the release of the State Department’s annual International Religious Freedom Report.
He said: “Congress is watching the situation in Nigeria with growing concern, as the Nigerian government there appears too often to be indifferent to attacks by Fulani herdsmen on predominantly Christian farmers.
“The confluence of religious, ethnic, economic and political tensions is only likely to be exacerbated in the lead-up to elections next year unless President Muhammadu Buhari speaks out with a clear voice condemning the herdsmen attacks.
“We grieve with the families of those killed, including those of two priests and 17 worshipers who were buried just last week following an attack by herdsmen in Benue state in April.
“Getting the facts right on the global state of religious freedom is essential for the shaping of U.S. policy and priorities, and that is why the State Department’s annual report is so important.
“I welcome the report’s release and urge concerted action to protect this fundamental freedom.
“Religious freedom is under siege globally, challenging U.S. interests. It is no coincidence that the worst violators of religious freedom globally are also the biggest threats to our nation—those who wish to do Americans the most harm, and those who most want to tear down the pillars of democratic societies.”
Briefing journalists on the report, the US Department of State’s Ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom, Samuel Brownback said he would travel to Nigeria in June.
“To talk with leaders, government leaders, religious leaders, Christian and Muslim; to talk about what we can do to move forward; to reduce the level of violence; to open the way for religious freedom.
“I have been meeting with a number of different Nigerian leaders, and it’s been a very difficult- I met with three leaders, last week. And they said to me – Sunday used to be the day they hated to see coming the most because that is when most of the attacks would take place.”
He said that the Nigerian government had the responsibility to protect the right to freedom of religion, adding that the US would continue to push Nigeria to do that.
“Our effort is for religious freedom for everybody, regardless of faith, or even if you’re a person without faith, but that you are free to do with your own conscience whatever you choose and that no government has the right to interfere with that,” he added.
The report noted that there were incidents of killings and other forms of violence between members of different religious groups in Nigeria in 2017.
It reads in part: “Many killings occurred between farmers and herders in the central Middle Belt region, where farmers are predominantly Christians and from various ethnic groups, and herders are predominantly Fulani Muslims.
“This violence included religious differences as a factor, according to scholars and other experts, but also involved ethnicity, politics, and increasing competition over dwindling land resources as a result of population growth, soil degradation, and internal displacement from other forms of violence and criminality occurring in the north.”
The report chronicled many of the killings and clashes which had a religious undertone that took place in Nigeria in the year under review.
It stated: “The government continued to detain the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), the country’s largest Shia group, and restrict the activities, free movement, and free association of its members.
“There were no reports of accountability for soldiers implicated in the December 2015 clash between the army and IMN members that, according to a Kaduna State government report and reports from non-government observers, left at least 348 IMN members and one soldier dead, with IMN members buried in a mass graves.”
The report also stated that both Muslim and Christian groups said there was lack of just handling of their mutual disputes and inadequate protection by federal, state, and local authorities, especially in central regions, where there were longstanding, violent disputes between Hausa and Fulani Muslims and Christian ethnic groups.
It said: “In disputes between primarily Christian farmers and Muslim herders, herders stated they did not receive justice when their members were killed or their cattle were stolen by the farming community, which they said caused them to carry out retaliatory attacks. Farmers stated that security forces did not intervene when their villages were being attacked by herdsmen.”
Cooly100: * Accuses FG of failing to hold perpetrators accountable
By Bayo Akinloye
Against the backdrop of incessant killings in Nigeria, particularly the predominantly Muslim herdsmen slaying Christian farmers, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has recommended to the US government that Nigeria should be designated as a “Country of Particular Concern”, CPC.
This recommendation is contained in the latest report of the USCIRF titled, “2018 Annual Report–Key Findings and Recommendations,” obtained yesterday by THISDAY on the website of the US Department of State.
While on Thursday, at a telephonic press conference on the latest report on religious freedom with Samuel Brownback, US Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, in Washington, D.C., it was disclosed that plans were underway for the American envoy to visit Nigeria and later for religious leaders in the country and other African countries to be invited to the US to discuss the issue of religious violence and freedom with the Donald Trump administration.
In its 2018 report, the USCIRF recommended 16 countries for CPC designation. They are Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Central African Republic, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, Syria, and Vietnam.
34webers: Oya idiotic pigs of biamumus come and defend ur role model with explanation. While insulting buhari, dont forget to provide figures of what he "stole", not just some figures pulled from ur asses.
I give thanks to God for the birth of my three beautiful sons Ragnar, Aiden and Liam this morning. They are so beautiful. Precious and the three boys are doing very well. Today is her birthday: what a wonderful birthday gift that the Lord has given to us. To God be the glory!
Moukandjo: So all you saw in the title was " initiated "? You didn't also see " ongoing"? Or you're choosing to see & interprete only what you want from the title?
Moukandjo: You countered nothing, Mr! In one of your unintelligent replies, the OP made himself clear about that project being a continued project but you still went ahead to paste links as your likes enjoy doing!
Why are you intent on making a fool of yourself just like the op has made one of himself?
The title said "INITIATED", which is what the current debate is on. How did they initiate what they didn't start?
Oblang: Mumu. Do u know how many projects govts have talked abt in this country without even doing anything or mobilizing contractors to towards election only to be abandoned after election. Is it abt talking or doing initial gragra only for the project to be abandoned due to nonpayment of contractors....
I ask again, do you have a problem with comprehension?
Moukandjo: So have you intelligently countered all the projects the OP claims Buhari has initiated & completed since you only want to discuss Buhari?
I have countered everything in the 1st page, so why should I continue when it's quite obvious he is deliberately embarking on propagating falsehoods here.
Oblang: Mumu is there any govt that wouldn't talk abt housing project? The difference is actually taking step to start it. So because gej talked abt housing policy, he has started a project?
Idlot, is it that you can't read or you have problems with comprehension?
abc115: This thread is for the projects initiated, continued, completed and ongoing by President Buhari Government under Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing.... more Ministries and Agencies to follow
Politics › Re: US Congress Condemn Herdsmen Killings, Accuse Buhari Of Inaction by nwabobo: 11:27am On Jun 02, 2018
