Jos, 26 September, 2021 / 7:00 pm (ACI Africa).
Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), an international human rights body that advocates for religious freedom, is calling on the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHCR) to be attentive to the deteriorating security situation in Nigeria where Islamist groups are reportedly persecuting Christians.
In her oral statement at the 48th session of the UN Human Rights Council scheduled to end on October 8, CSW’s Ellis Heasley noted that the Christian foundation was “perturbed” by the international silence on the situation in Nigeria, which she said was deteriorating by the day.
“CSW wishes to bring to the Council’s attention the relentless nationwide deterioration in security in Nigeria. We are perturbed by governmental nonchalance and international indifference in the face of unabated deadly attacks by resurgent terrorists and diverse armed gangs primarily of Fulani origin,” Ms. Heasley said in her statement shared on Friday, September 24.
The CSW official noted that predominantly Christian ethnic minorities in Central Nigeria have endured lethal violence and abductions since 2010 and that the violence has now spread Southwards.
The official said that in Southern Kaduna State, the attacks have displaced at least 143 communities and over 160,000 persons, while IDPs in Benue State are now at least 1.6 million.
