Nigeria- Investigations, Prosecutions Needed to Help Stop Violence

Sectarian Killings in Nigeria Continue
Investigations, Prosecutions Needed to Help Break Cycle of Violence
“They came with guns, ammunition, and machetes,” a 25-year-old student said. “One group surrounded our village and started shooting. I saw many villagers - women, children, and some men - hacked to death. I lost one of my daughters, who was 7 years old.”
The recent massacre in a mainly Christian village near Jos left at least 200 dead. Two months earlier, 150 Muslims from another village were massacred in a tragically similar fashion. More than 13,500 people in Nigeria, 3,000 of them in and around Jos, have died in sectarian clashes since the end of military rule in 1999.
Nigeria is deeply divided along ethnic and religious lines. Human Rights Watch research shows that profound levels of poverty, the failure to investigate and prosecute those responsible for the violence, and discriminatory government policies fuel tension and underlie the cycles of violence. The government policies deny government jobs and scholarships to people who can’t trace their ancestry to a certain area.
"This kind of terrible violence has left thousands dead in the past decade, but no one has been held accountable," said Corinne Dufka, senior West Africa researcher. "It's time to draw a line in the sand."
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Photo: © 2010 Reuters

Initiative Aims to Make Oil, Mining Profits Public
Most Companies Miss Deadlines to Show Openness to Natural Resources Revenues
In many countries, an abundance of oil, gas, gold and other minerals – and the money these natural resources bring in – can lead to large-scale corruption that fuels human rights abuses and undermines development.
The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, established jointly by governments, nongovernmental organizations and energy companies, aims to alleviate part of this problem by creating greater transparency around natural resource revenue.
But of the 22 countries accepted as candidates in 2008 to join the Initiative, 20 countries – including Equatorial Guinea, Sierra Leone and São Tomé e Príncipe – failed to meet this week’s deadline for a review of their compliance with the Initiative’s standards. The missed deadline raised doubts about these countries’ commitment to report openly their profits from natural resources.
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Photo: The new presidential palace under construction in Equatorial Guinea, where many languish in needless poverty. © 2009 Human Rights Watch
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Iran: Stop Undermining Women’s Rights
On International Women’s Day, Iranian women's rights activists have issued a call for freedom and gender equality in Iran. This initiative is crucial to the overall struggle for democracy in Iran. It is also a tribute to the strength of women, who continue to demand their rights and support fellow citizens in the toughest of times.
Thailand: Investigate Killings of Children
The Thai government should promptly investigate the use of lethal force by Thai soldiers against Burmese migrants, which resulted in the death of three children. The army said soldiers fired on a pick-up truck carrying 13 undocumented migrant workers from Burma after the driver failed to heed a signal to stop for inspection.
Ireland: Update Abortion Laws
The Irish government should implement the will of the Irish population by liberalizing the country’s restrictive abortions laws. In a survey published today by YouGov, a polling organization, more than 60 percent of those who responded said they support access to abortion in Ireland in cases of rape, incest, fatal fetal abnormalities, or danger to the pregnant woman’s life or health.
Ethiopia: Open Impartial Inquiry Into Candidate’s Killing
The Ethiopian government should urgently initiate an independent investigation into the murder of an opposition candidate for parliament and bring those responsible to justice. Aregawi Gebreyohannes, the victim, was a candidate for the Arena-Tigray opposition party for the upcoming elections. He was stabbed to death by five men at his home.
Editors Picks
Sexual Violence: Help Haiti's Women
by Liesl Gerntholtz
The Daily Beast
Driving through Port-au-Prince's Parc Jean Marie Vincent camp, the first thing I notice is how massive and congested it is. After that, the smell and the heat hit me. I had come to the camp to interview a young rape survivor, as part of a Human Rights Watch mission to Haiti to investigate sexual and other violence against women in the aftermath of the earthquake.
Burma: Election Laws May Shut Down Opposition Parties
Newly issued laws in preparation for 2010 elections in Burma are designed to exclude the main opposition party and ensure a victory for the ruling military. The new law's assault on opposition parties continues the sham political process that is aimed at creating the appearance of civilian rule with a military spine."
Chad: Inside a Dictator's Secret Police
by Reed Brody
Foreign Policy
For the two decades that he has been free, Souleymane Guengueng has constantly relived the two years he spent in a Chadian prison, where he watched hundreds of cellmates die from torture and disease. Thrown in jail in 1988 for still-unknown reasons, the deeply religious civil servant took an oath before God: If he ever got out alive, he would bring his tormentors to justice.
Philippines: Protect Witnesses to Maguindanao Massacre
Philippine authorities should act swiftly to protect eyewitnesses to the November 2009 massacre of at least 57 people in Maguindanao province on Mindanao, and to protect their families as well. Concerns for the safety of witnesses are highlighted by the killings of two relatives of witnesses and the shooting of a third.


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