Horror in Nigeria: Over 100 deaths in brutal attacks in Benue!

Horror in Nigeria: Over 100 deaths in brutal attacks in Benue!

in Nigeria, a devastating attack cost at least 100 people. According to reports, many other people are missing, while numerous injuries suffer from poor medical care. The fact that many families have been locked up and burned in their bedrooms is also worrying. The incident occurred in Benue, a region in Nigeria Middle Belt, which is known for her ethnic and religious tensions between the North Muslim and the Christian south. Such arguments between nomadic cattle shepherds and sedentary farmers are often reported in this area, such as [Kleine Zeitung] (https://www.kleinezeitung.at/service/newsticker/aussenpolitik/19796665/mind at the latest.

The latest acts of violence are not isolated; In May, at least 42 people were killed in a similar incident in the Gwer West region. In recent years, over 500 people have been killed in such conflicts. The location is tense because, according to SBM Intelligence, over 2.2 million people have been sold out of their homoing since 2019. The pressure on this region is also increased by the rapid population growth in Nigeria, which is estimated by over 200 million people to a doubling by 2050, as well as the climate crisis, which provokes resource conflicts in particular by water and arable land.

causes of the conflicts

The conflicts about land use in Nigeria are not only regionally, but also socially complex. These arguments arise when groups, such as the shepherd communities of the Fulani and sedentary farmers, raise different demands on the same country. Especially in the north, these conflicts are worrying, since the groups concerned often have different ethnic and religious backgrounds, which further escalates. According to [D+C] (https://www.dandc.eu/de/article/klimakrise-und-bevoelkungswachstum-fuehren-westafrika- zu-streit-um-sackerland), tensions arise when people see their rights violated, and the unclear ownership on shared land are common causes of new outbursts of violence.

The combination of widespread injustice, unclear property and the climate crisis leads to numerous conflicts that can be explosive. Liehnomad who move south due to drought increasingly get into conflicts with village communities that have expanded their fields. Local conflicts, such as between oil companies and local communities, additionally increase the situation, since the use of resources often brings health and economic problems for the locals.

political situation and challenges

The political situation in Nigeria is also tense. President Bola Tinubu, who was elected in February 2023, has so far taken no effective measures to improve the security situation. The turnout was a historical low at only 29 %. The security situation has further exacerbated the multitude of crises, including economic challenges such as the devaluation of Naira and the falling oil production, such as bpb.de.

The government is under pressure to take strategic measures against violence, but the implementation remains questionable. While the ISWAP and gangs are spreading in the northwest, the security forces are often overwhelmed. A lack of effective strategies to combat these challenges could continue to destabilize and put more innocent people in danger.