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| Nigerian Soldiers during the Road Block |
LONDON — The State Department on Wednesday urged the
Nigerian government to investigate reports of a large number of deaths over the
weekend in clashes between the military and a Shiite Muslim sect.
The American Embassy in Nigeria said in a statement that the
United States was “deeply concerned” about reports of the clashes, which began
on Saturday afternoon in the northern city of Zaria.
“While many details of the incidents that reportedly began
on Dec. 12 remain unclear, we are dismayed to learn of multiple civilian
deaths,” the embassy said in the statement. “It is essential that all sides
refrain from actions that further destabilize the situation. The United States
calls on the government of Nigeria to quickly, credibly and transparently
investigate these events in Zaria and hold to account any individuals found to
have committed crimes.”
Representatives of the sect, known as the Islamic Movement
in Nigeria, say that up to 1,000 of its members were killed by the military.
Military officers say the sect’s members provoked the clash by blocking a
convoy carrying the army’s chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai, and
that they believed his life was in danger. The military has acknowledged that
seven people were killed initially, but it refused to provide updated numbers.
On Wednesday, the Nigerian government said that President
Muhammadu Buhari had sent a delegation on Tuesday night to Kaduna State, which
includes Zaria, in an apparent effort to defuse tensions.
The delegation, which included Interior Minister Abdulrahman
Bello Dambazau and Solomon Arase, the police inspector general, met with the
governor of Kaduna State, Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, and a local emir, Zubair Jibril
Mai Gwari.
After the meeting, Samuel Aruwan, a spokesman for the
governor, said in a statement that “a situation of calm prevails in the state,
with security agencies maintaining a vigilant stance.”
He added: “All residents of the state are requested to
promote harmony and peaceful relations, avoid panic and shun rumors.”
The American ambassador to Nigeria, James F. Entwistle, said
he believed Mr. Dambazau’s visit to Zaria “was the first step in the timely,
transparent investigation,” to which he added that he was sure Mr. Buhari and
his administration were committed.
The leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Sheikh
Ibrahim Zakzaky, was detained on Sunday and remains in custody. The Iranian
government, which sees itself as a protector of Shiite Muslims worldwide, has
demanded that Nigeria conduct an investigation.
The human rights group Amnesty International also called for
an investigation into the killings.
“An impartial investigation is urgently needed into these
killings,” the group’s Nigeria director, M. K. Ibrahim, said in a statement on
Tuesday evening. “Whilst the final death toll is unclear, there is no doubt
that there has been a substantial loss of life at the hands of the military.
Anyone responsible for unlawful killings should be brought to justice. Those in
detention must be granted access to medical care as a matter of urgency and
either charged with a recognizable criminal offense or released.”
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