Lagos. .- More than 500 people have died in violence in northern Nigeria sparked after learning of the victory of President Goodluck Jonathan in the presidential elections on 16 April, as reported by the Civil Rights Congress (CRC English acronym), a Nigerian human rights advocacy. The riots were concentrated in the north, mostly Muslim, caused by the victory of Jonathan, a native of southern Christian majority over his main rival, Muhammadu Buhari, a former dictator's native north.
Buhari himself denounced electoral fraud even though international observers have certified the lawfulness of the election. The CRC maintains that the dead were more than 500 only comes into Monday and Tuesday and only three locations: Zonkwa (316 dead), Zangon Kataf (147) and Kafanchan (83), all located in southern Kaduna state .
International humanitarian organizations in the area, as the Red Cross, have reported at least 130 dead, but their data reflect only those killed in the big cities and not the population as those included in the report of the CRC. During the riots were torched churches, mosques, homes and businesses.
The government deployed the army in major towns and controlled the situation in less than a day, but it took longer to reach smaller towns or remote areas. "The soldiers went there after," he stated in reference to Zonkwa Sani, Zangon Kataf and Kafanchan. "Three victims were surrounded, attacked and killed with machetes.
Their houses were burned," said CRC President, Shehu Sani, the group's report published on Sunday and that includes several individual cases of brutal violence based on the story CRC members direct witnesses to the incident. Now the fear is that this violence is played after the regional elections next Tuesday, but in the states of Kaduna and Bauchi (North) has been postponed two days of voting to ensure safety.
The Popular Democratic Party (PDP) of Jonathan and Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) Buhari elections are held in the control of regional governments. "The CPC is seen as a Muslim party and the PDP is perceived as a Christian party. Go as elections go, there will be problems," said Sani on the possible outcome of the consultation in Kaduna. 
Buhari himself denounced electoral fraud even though international observers have certified the lawfulness of the election. The CRC maintains that the dead were more than 500 only comes into Monday and Tuesday and only three locations: Zonkwa (316 dead), Zangon Kataf (147) and Kafanchan (83), all located in southern Kaduna state .
International humanitarian organizations in the area, as the Red Cross, have reported at least 130 dead, but their data reflect only those killed in the big cities and not the population as those included in the report of the CRC. During the riots were torched churches, mosques, homes and businesses.
The government deployed the army in major towns and controlled the situation in less than a day, but it took longer to reach smaller towns or remote areas. "The soldiers went there after," he stated in reference to Zonkwa Sani, Zangon Kataf and Kafanchan. "Three victims were surrounded, attacked and killed with machetes.
Their houses were burned," said CRC President, Shehu Sani, the group's report published on Sunday and that includes several individual cases of brutal violence based on the story CRC members direct witnesses to the incident. Now the fear is that this violence is played after the regional elections next Tuesday, but in the states of Kaduna and Bauchi (North) has been postponed two days of voting to ensure safety.
The Popular Democratic Party (PDP) of Jonathan and Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) Buhari elections are held in the control of regional governments. "The CPC is seen as a Muslim party and the PDP is perceived as a Christian party. Go as elections go, there will be problems," said Sani on the possible outcome of the consultation in Kaduna.
- Group: At least 500 dead in Nigeria election riots (24/04/2011)
- 500 dead in Nigeria election riots: civil rights group (24/04/2011)
- Nigeria radical Muslim sect vows to keep fighting (24/04/2011)
- Nigeria radical Muslim sect vows to keep fighting (24/04/2011)
- Jonathan's victory will strengthen ties with Cote d'Ivoire - Ouattara (20/04/2011)
No comments:
Post a Comment