Baroness Cox to ask Her Majesty's Government what is their response to recent reports of targeted attacks in Nigeria against the (1) Yoruba people, and (2) Igbo people, by armed Fulani herders. Asked 21 June 2021
Answered 5 July 2021 By Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Conservative, Life peer) Answer also corrected By Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Conservative, Life peer)
This answer is a correction from the original answer.
The Government condemns all incidents of violence in Nigeria. We are following with concern the increased insecurity in the South West, where there has been a rise in both criminal violence and distinct clashes between farmers and herders. We are also concerned by the increasing vigilantism in response. Narratives that define the violence by ethnic groups risk fueling tensions and further violence, as well as undermining efforts to address the complex root causes, which include competition for resources and rapid population growth.
The Government is also concerned by the increasing levels of violence in the South East. We are working in Nigeria to promote intercommunal and interfaith dialogue, and continue to call for solutions that address the complex underlying causes of violence. Officials at the British High Commission regularly meet faith and community leaders and civil society organisations in both the South East and South West. During his visit to Nigeria in April, the Minister for Africa met the President's Chief of Staff, Ibrahim Gambari, and the Foreign Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, to discuss insecurity. The Minister raised the importance of protecting all communities across Nigeria. The UK is also concerned about the plight of the estimated one million civilians living in inaccessible areas to humanitarian workers, of whom 880,000 have very limited access to food and to basic services such as healthcare.
Original answer
The Government condemns all incidents of violence in Nigeria. We are following with concern the increased insecurity in the South West, where there has been a rise in both criminal violence and distinct clashes between farmers and herders. We are also concerned by the increasing vigilantism in response. Narratives that define the violence by ethnic groups risk fueling tensions and further violence, as well as undermining efforts to address the complex root causes, which include competition for resources and rapid population growth.
The Government is also concerned by the increasing levels of violence in the South East. We are working in Nigeria to promote intercommunal and interfaith dialogue, and continue to call for solutions that address the complex underlying causes of violence. Officials at the British High Commission regularly meet faith and community leaders and civil society organisations in both the South East and South West. During his visit to Nigeria in April, the Minister for Africa met the President's Chief of Staff, Ibrahim Gambari, and the Foreign Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, to discuss insecurity. The Minister raised the importance of protecting all communities across Nigeria. Across Nigeria, the UK is also concerned about the plight of the estimated one million civilians living in inaccessible areas to humanitarian workers, of whom 880,000 have very limited access to food and to basic services such as healthcare.
Original source: UIN HL1232
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