Nigeria Has Capacity But Lacks Will to Tackle Boko Haram, Says US Official

Chairman of the U.S. Commission on
International Religious Freedom, Robert P.
George, has said that the Nigerian
government has the capacity to wage a
successful war against Boko Haram, but the
government does not have the political will
to wage the battle.
George, whose organisation published a
report last year on the activities of the
Islamic insurgent sect, reiterated some of
the recommendations in the report. He said
Boko Haram insurgency was a real and
growing threat to the future of Nigeria,
which the country must confront head-on.
Boko Haram seeks to introduce “pure”
Shariah law in northern Nigeria. The group
is responsible for many deaths and
destructions in religious and educational
institutions and other public places in the
country since the last two years. In an
attempt to tackle the threat posed by Boko
Haram, the federal government has
imposed emergency rule in three North-
east states of Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa,
which are the hotbeds of the group’s
rebellion.
The emergency measures have recorded
some successes, even though the killings by
Boko Haram have largely continued.
But George stated, “In our view, Nigeria’s
government has the capacity to address the
violence successfully. The problem appears
to be one of will, not ability. Clearly,
Nigeria’s establishment, including President
Jonathan and other leaders, needs to
muster the political courage to protect the
innocent and prosecute those who are
guilty of unleashing violence against their
fellow Nigerians.
“Simply stated, Nigeria’s failure since at
least the turn of the century to protect
Nigerians from religious-related assaults –
or prevent or punish such violence – must
be addressed. Every effort must be made
to bring perpetrators of this violence,
regardless of their faith or position in
society, to justice. It is the only way the
country will have any chance of a stable
future.”
George, however, said military force alone
would not overcome the insurgency,
stressing that an effective law enforcement
system and adherence to the rule of law
are crucial in the attempt to beat the
menace of the Islamic sect.
“But overcoming the Boko Haram challenge
will take more than a military response – it
also requires an approach that addresses
Nigeria’s tolerance of long-running
sectarian violence, protects religious
freedom and enforces rule of law,” George
stated.
Highlighting the human cost of Boko Haram
violence since January last year, the USCIRF
chairman said the sect “launched
religiously-motivated attacks on 50
churches, killing at least 366 people; 31
separate attacks on Christians or
southerners perceived to be Christian,
killing at least 166 people; 23 targeted
attacks on clerics or senior Islamic figures
critical of Boko Haram, killing at least 60
persons; and 21 attacks on “un-Islamic”
institutions or persons engaged in “un-
Islamic” behavior, killing at least 74.”
USCIRF Annual Report 2013 recommended
that the American government should
"establish a U.S. consulate in Kano and call
on the Nigerian government to create a
Ministry of Northern Affairs to address the
economic and political marginalisation of
the north." It said it was part of measures
to prioritise religious freedom in U.S.-
Nigeria bilateral relations.
Besides Boko Haram, George said Nigeria’s
long-term stability was also threatened by
sectarian violence between Muslims and
Christians, which he said had killed about
14, 000 people since 1999.
“Worse, since that time, USCIRF has
confirmed that only 200 people have been
found guilty of perpetrating these attacks.
This failure to bring the guilty to justice has
created a climate of impunity emboldening
the violent to commit further attacks, and
indeed has helped trigger the rise of Boko
Haram itself. Boko Haram uses this history
as a recruiting tool and the group
frequently attacks predominantly Christian
areas in Bauchi, Jos, Kaduna, and Kano to
further exacerbate existing Muslim-
Christian tensions and fuel more violence,”
George said.
He said the Nigerian government’s
counterterrorism tactics in response to the
religiously-motivated violence were
necessary but insufficient. According to
him, “Nigeria must also enforce the rule of
law and make perpetrators of both
sectarian and Boko Haram violence
accountable through the judicial system.
“Indeed, President Obama was correct in
making the case to Nigerian President
Goodluck Jonathan during their September
23 meeting in New York that the Nigerian
government must embrace a
comprehensive approach that includes the
protection of human rights and the
promotion of rule of law.”
He reiterated USCIRF’s call on the U.S.
government to designate Nigeria as a
“country of particular concern,” for
condoning “systematic, ongoing, and
egregious religious freedom violations.”
George also restated his group’s suggestion
that the U.S. government should enter into
a binding agreement with the Nigerian
government to help it in the efforts to bring
perpetrators of violence to justice, develop
conflict prevention and early warning
methods, and professionalise the Nigeria
Police.

Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.10