Jos, Nigeria: With fresh violence in Jos, capital of Nigeria's Plateau State, fight between Muslims and Christians intensifies. Religious violence in Nigeria has claimed hundreds of lives so far. The latest violence tells the story of a revenge attempt for another such clash that happened in January. Communal clashes in Plateau State have claimed more than 2,000 people since 2001.
Issues behind Nigeria Massacre: The latest Nigeria massacre has rattled the whole world.They have been termed "communal clashes," or “religious conflict” but economic and political issues are the actual cause. Thin lines of differences lie between religious, ethnic, political, and economic divisions in Plateau State, owing to which they reinforce each other. Muslims in the state are from Hausa- or Fulani-speaking nomadic groups, most of who are herdsmen by occupation or do trivial businesses.
They are considered strong supporters of the opposition All Nigeria People's Party. The People's Democratic Party (PDP), which is in power both at state and national levels, has the allegiance of Christian Berom, Anaguta, and Afisare groups that traditionally have been farmers. With national elections due next year, the national government finds it tough to check the violence out of a fear that actions may estrange its potential political groups.
Any dispute turns into a religious riot at once in Plateau State. Sometimes hatred of Christian farmers against the Hausa-speaking Muslims' coming from the North in search of grasslands for their animals takes the shape of a dispute over land. Again, craze for power also falls prey to religious bias. Muslims and Christians live in separate areas even in the state capital Jos.
This Muslim Christian conflict in the state has been because of power craze. Power corridor allows you access to enormous money, and so your community also gets share of it. Around 80% of Nigeria's GDP runs through the state and local government channels. Therefore, to cling to power, one often takes detour by triggering ethnic or religious hatred or pushing people out of home to stop them voting.
And Nigeria's classification of citizens between "indigenous" and "settlers" makes the situation severe. In Plateau State, this system creates local divisions as well. The Hausa-speaking Muslims are often referred to as settlers. These "settlers" are barred from taking up certain state positions, which gives rise to hatred among some who find violence the only way out.
The Nigeria Government has sent the Army to the state, but analysts opine that it will still take time to arrest root causes of the violence. In 2004, the government made a prudent move by dismissing then state Governor Joshua Dariye of PDP on charges of not being able to check a riot. Dariye called himself a resurrected Christian and reportedly insulted Muslims. But now the federal government is afraid of taking any such step against the incumbent state administration.
Rights groups in the country are also not satisfied with the government behavior. After the eruption of January violence, they urged the International Criminal Court to probe the riot. The situation now tenses up more because of a din between ailing Nigeria President Umaru Yar'Adua's supporters and those of acting Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan. Hence, danger still looms large over Nigeria's Plateau State.
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