United Nations Rights Chief Condemns Attacks In Nigeria

By United Nations Photos: YouTube Screenshots The top United Nations human rights official has voiced “deep alarm” over the series of attacks on communities in central Nigeria, which left at least 150 people dead and many more injured. Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called on the authorities to conduct prompt, thorough and independent investigations into the attacks that took place on Christmas Eve and to hold those responsible to account in fair trials. The violence occurred in the Plateau state, an ethnically and religiously diverse region, where inter-communal conflict has claimed hundreds of lives in recent years. “The cycle of impunity fueling recurrent violence must be urgently broken,” Mr. Türk said in a statement on Thursday. “The Government should also take meaningful steps to address the underlying root causes and to ensure non-recurrence of this devastating violence,” he added. A complex crisis Located on the west coast of Africa, Nigeria continues to grapple a complex humanitarian crisis intertwined with climate change impacts and a deadly conflict in the country’s northeast regions. An estimated 8.3 million people need assistance in Nigeria, with attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure driving vulnerability and impeding access, according to the UN Office...