Boko Haram’s violence must be declared genocide, bishop says | World | News

Killing of thousands of people Christians in an Islamic extremist rebellion Africa One bishop said the incident should be declared a genocide. John Bakeni is the Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Maiduguri in Borno State, the epicenter of Boko Haram terrorists in northeastern Nigeria.

In his first visit to the UK, Bishop Bakeni will set out the “reality” that Christians are being persecuted in some parts of his country when he addresses Parliament on Tuesday at the launch of a report on religious freedom compiled by Aid to the Church in Need (UK).

The bishop said Daily Express Christians are being terrorized by insurgents in Nigeria’s north-east, bandits in the north-west of the country, and there is systematic murder, displacement and destruction of entire communities in the north-central region.

50-year-old Bishop Bakeni said: “How many people need to be killed before these events can be described as genocide? I can say that a genocide really took place in both the Muslim northeast.” [who refuse to comply with Boko Haram] and Christians.”

He also said it was becoming increasingly difficult for the church to purchase land to build places of worship in some parts of Nigeria; people were being converted by force, and fewer institutions were offering space for Christians to practice their faith.

The religious leader, who was ordained in 2002 and became a bishop in July 2022, spoke of churches, schools and hospitals being destroyed by rioters. The bishop explained that he felt depressed after four years of supporting families traumatized by violence.

Britain has long maintained that under the Genocide Convention, determination of genocide rests with international courts, not governments.

Dr Folahanmi Aina, lecturer at the School of Oriental and African Studies, said: To express It is stated that the actions of Boko Haram and the West African Region, which is an extension of the Islamic State, cannot be fully described as genocide.

He said: “Genocide, as defined by the UN, is any act committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group.

“The operational pattern of these groups is indiscriminate. They target defenseless civilian populations without consideration or compassion for any religious affiliation. This includes attacking both Muslims and Christians.”

Dr Aina said the causes of the rebellion were mainly mismanagement, corruption, poverty, unemployment, climate-induced resource competition and local grievances.

Boko Haram’s insurgency began in July 2009, when the militant Islamist group launched an armed rebellion against the Nigerian government. The jihadists’ terror campaign focuses largely on states in northern Nigeria where Muslims make up about half the population.

*In April 2014, Boko Haram terrorists abducted approximately 276 girls from a school in Chibok, Borno State. They were sold for marriage in Mali and Niger, as well as in Cameroon and Chad, where the group’s violence has spread.

Thousands of people were killed in the group’s attacks; This includes Baga, where nearly 2,000 innocents were massacred in 2015. Suicide attacks by Boko Haram fanatics also caused many deaths in the region.

More than 5,000 people were forced to flee to Cameroon after Boko Haram captured the border town of Kirawa in Borno State in October.

Bishop Bakeni said Boko Haram insurgents shouted “Allahu Akbar” meaning “Allah is greatest”, kicked in church doors and dragged worshipers outside to be killed in heinous acts that the militants claimed were carried out in the name of Islam.

Bishop Bakeni said that despite the dangers, he and his colleagues will continue their work. He said: “Security is important, but we have reached a stage where the truth needs to be told. I am very aware that this comes at a cost.”

ACN National Director Dr. Caroline Hull said she saw with her own eyes the difficulties faced by many Christians in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State.

He said: “Religious persecution certainly plays a role in all this violence and hatred. In today’s divided world, it is time for us all to stand up for religious freedom.”

Bishop Bakeni said the British Government’s apparent refusal to acknowledge religion as a cause of the rebellion risked “diluting” the seriousness of the conflict.

His Crossbench colleague Lord Alton, in response to a parliamentary question in June, was told that the Government did not recognize religion as the cause of the conflict in Benue State, where a wave of killings had recently broken out.

The state has seen more than 1,000 deaths between May 2023 and the same month this year, amid violent clashes between farmers and herdsmen.

Responding to Lord Alton’s question, Labor Lord Collins said the Government was “deeply concerned” by the violence but religion was not seen as a cause of the conflict.

Lord Alton, who said he was “deeply disappointed” by the official responses to his pleas, said: “In the face of bloody years of silent slaughter of Christians and disobedient Muslims, the world chooses to look the other way and refuses to name the motivations of the perpetrators of these terrible crimes.”

he said To express: “Why has Boko Haram been given the green light to continue its murders, rapes and kidnappings that are part of the twisted Jihadist ideology? Where are the protests, where are the marches, where are the demands for an end to this massacre?”

Dr Aina said false religious doctrines had been weaponized by insurgents to justify violence and recruit members, but religion itself was “at most” a minor contributing factor, not a key enabler of violent extremism.

A Foreign Office Spokesperson said: “The UK condemns the appalling violence committed by Boko Haram and other armed groups in Nigeria’s north-east. These terrorists target innocent civilians and attack people’s right to freely practice their faith.”

“We are working with our partners in Nigeria and the region to promote peace, hold perpetrators of these barbaric crimes accountable, and support innocent people devastated by violence.”

The State Department maintained its position that religion was not the main causal factor in inter-communal violence in Nigeria, adding that it was “clear” that the effects were “strongly felt” by religious communities.

It was stated that the UK regularly raises issues related to freedom of religion or belief with the Nigerian government, supports affected communities and strengthens the capacity of counter-terrorism investigators to hold perpetrators of violence accountable.