PRESS CONFERENCE BY CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS ON THE INSECURITY SITUATION IN NORTH EAST NIGERIA The press conference took place on Wednesday 12th March, ABUJA We welcome you to this press conference called by civil society organizations (CSOs) concerned about the situation in the north-east of Nigeria, where Boko Haram insurgency has escalated. We are worried that despite government troops in the region, the mass-scale killings and destruction persists. This tells us that our government’s method of engaging the situation is not working. Reality Check We should note that: 1. In the last two weeks, hundreds of people, including children have been murdered in a deliberate campaign of terror that demonstrate a heightened state of impunity with which the insurgents are operating 2. Thousands have been forced to seek refuge both within and outside the country, as the relevant authorities have no capacity to adequately respond to this humanitarian crisis 3. With the insurgency and the counter-campaign by government forces, horrific human rights abuses are taking place 4. Prolonging the crisis has serious economic implications for the country, as well as the of loss of human lives 5. That there is also serious implication to our democratization as insecurity may be used to disenfranchise people in the affected states Taking Stock of Government Strategy Although government on numerous occasions explained that it was ready to deploy both negotiation and military action in dealing with the insurgency, the focus however has been on the latter. The military action is turning into a prolonged campaign with no visible signs of exit or success. Instead, each time the military expresses victory over Boko Haram or gives an exit datethe Boko Haram insurgency becomes even more deadly and unrelenting. Government’s military strategy is therefore not working as expected. In particular, we note that: 1. There is a near absence of community engagement by government in fighting insurgency in the region 2. The government is yet to undertake a humanitarian assessment mission on the situation 3. There are inter-security agencies rivalries which hinder effective coordination. 4. The capacity deficit of the Nigerian Police has led to the overstretching of the military who are currently involved in internal security management in thirty two out of the thirty six states of the federation 5. The Ministry of Interior, Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) and other key conflict resolution institutions do not have the capacity to contribute significantly to conflict resolution 6. The Rules of Engagement (RoE) being adopted by the government is opaque and seems not to be yielding the required result Recommendations The solution to end the humanitarian crisis in the north-east is a serious one that all levels of government must unite on and come up with a common strategy to end it. To this end, we recommend the following for governments at all levels to address: Engage communities in the fight against the insurgency since these insurgents are drawn from these communities; CSOs should work together with a view to setting up working groups on key thematic areas for the purpose of planning; The Federal Government should put in a place a marshal plan for the regionfor eradicating poverty; The Federal Government should harmonize the national security infrastructure to strengthen and encourage synergy among security agencies; •Strengthen their de-radicalization strategy in a way that reflects existing legal framework of licensing preaching; Police capacity should be improved to meet the challenges posed by insurgency, and also to reduce the burden on an over-stretched military; The capacity of the Ministry of Interior, Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) and other key conflict resolution institutions should be strengthened to address internal security issues and conflict resolution; The Rule of Engagement on the conduct of the military in the management of internal security or conflict should be reviewed in accordance with the principles of humanitarian law. We need disclosure, transparency and accountability on military spending on the campaign against Boko Haram insurgents, to ensure that it is not being used as milking cow by top military brass. The government should engage our neighbours- Chad, Niger and Cameroun – in joint efforts to root out the insurgents especially as it is reported that they have bases in some of these countries Government should make concerted effort to compensate, reintegrate and rehabilitate the victims of the insurgency back to their communities That government should make public the reports of Turaki and Galtimari Committees on the Boko Haram crisis Over the past year, the intensity of the conflict in NE Nigeria has deepened and so has the humanitarian situation. In 2013, the International Committee of the Red Cross determined that the situation in the region had become a Non-International Armed Conflict (NIAC). The International Criminal Court has reached the same conclusion. The effect of this determination is that the conflict and area is NOW governed by the laws of international humanitarian law binding on Nigeria, including the provisions of the Geneva Conventions Act, applicable domestically in Nigeria, with respect to the protection of civilians in armed conflict. It is evident that the levels of humanitarian provisioning for the communities affected by the conflict in NE Nigeria are absymal, intolerable and below the standards permitted by international law. In the circumstances we are by this appeal calling for the adoption by the Federal Government of a focused humanitarian programme for North East Nigeria, including the establishment of guaranteed humanitarian corridors under adequate protection TO GUARANTEE MINIMAL HUMANITARIAN DELIVERIES, PROVISIONING & ACCESS AS WELL AS PROTECTION FOR HUMANITARIAN WORKERS. In particular, we deplore the failure of the UN-OCHA to establish a credible presence or interest in the lingering humanitarian crisis in NE Nigeria and appeal for an urgent upgrading of its presence in the region. We call for an expedited humanitarian assessment to be undertaken jointly by the UN-OCHA, the ONSA and the NHRC SIGNATORIES Abuja Collectives , Abuja, John Odah Action Aid Nigeria, Dr. Husssain Abdu Bauchi Coalition for Improvement in Public Expenditure Management (BACIPEM), Bauchi , Isah Garba Bauchi State Network of Civil Societies (BASNEC), Bauchi, J. J. Garba Borno Coalition for Democracy and Progress (BOCODEP), Borno, Mohammed Wuyo Center For Environmental Education And Development, Taraba, Raymond Enoch Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Idayat Hassan Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), Y. Z. Ya’u Civil Rights and Voice Initiative, Nguru, Yobe Danladi Haruna Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Desert Initiative, Yobe, Shariff K Ibrahim FOMWAN, Yobe, Hauwa Buba Gagarawa Community Awareness on HIV/AIDS and Development (GAHAHAD), Jigawa, Mustafa Usman Gender and Social Inclduision , Yobe, Rebbeca Bature Grassroots Economic Empowerment and Educational Development (GECEED), Yobe, Idi Garba Bubaram Health Partners Association (HEPA), Jigawa Zainab Salisu Kazaure Knowledge and Community Management Initiative (KCOMAI), Abubakar Abdullahi National Procurement Watch Platform (NPWP), Okeke Anya N-Katalyst , Dr. Jibrin Ibrahim Positive Environmental Development Support, Muhammad Idris Bomoi Protest to Power, Jaye Gaskiya Responsible Citizenship and Human Development Initiative , Gombe, Dugu Manuga West African Civil Society Forum Nigeria, Salaudeen Hashimu Youth for Social Development , Jigawa, (YSD), Muhammad Galadima
Posted on: Sun, 16 Mar 2014 19:37:23 +0000
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