Through:
U.S Embassy,
U.S Embassy, Abuja,
Plot 1075 Diplomatic Drive,
Central District Area, Abuja, Nigeria
To:
His Excellency,
António Guterres,
UN Secretary General,
United Nations Headquarters,
405 East 42nd Street, New York, NY, 10017,
United States of America (USA)
Mr. Secretary General,
CONSIDERATION OF THE RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT POPULATIONS FROM GENOCIDE, WAR CRIMES, ETHNIC CLEANSING AND CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY IN NIGERIA
Campaign for Democracy (CD) and Conference of Nigerian Civil Rights Activists (CNCRA) are font line pro-democracy and human rights groups in the fore front of campaigns against all forms of dictatorial government and crimes against humanity with their members cutting across Nigeria particularly in the south of Nigeria.
We are conversant with the operations and activities of the United Nations as enshrined in its charter of which is R2P (Responsibility to Protect) populations from genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing are part of. We are aware that R2P is an international standard that seeks to ensure that the international community never again fails to halt the mass atrocity crimes of genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. This thought emerged in response to the failure of the international community to adequately respond to mass atrocities committed in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s.
We are also aware that The Responsibility to Protect was unanimously adopted in 2005 at the UN World Summit, the largest meeting of Heads of State and Government in history.
Our appeal shall be relied on paragraphs 138 and 139 of the said World Summit Outcome Document
“138. Each individual State has the responsibility to protect its populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. This responsibility entails the prevention of such crimes, including their incitement, through appropriate and necessary means. We accept that responsibility and will act in accordance with it. The international community should, as appropriate, encourage and help States to exercise this responsibility and support the United Nations in establishing an early warning capability.
- The international community, through the United Nations, also has the responsibility to use appropriate diplomatic, humanitarian and other peaceful means, in accordance with Chapters VI and VIII of the Charter, to help protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. In this context, we are prepared to take collective action, in a timely and decisive manner, through the Security Council, in accordance with the Charter, including Chapter VII, on a case-by-case basis and in cooperation with relevant regional organizations as appropriate, should peaceful means be inadequate and national authorities manifestly fail to protect their populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. We stress the need for the General Assembly to continue consideration of the responsibility to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity and its implications, bearing in mind the principles of the Charter and international law. We also intend to commit ourselves, as necessary and appropriate, to helping States build capacity to protect their populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity and to assisting those which are under stress before crises and conflicts break out.”
On this note, we deemed it necessary to write this appeal letter to the highly revered world body in which Nigeria is a 99th member state to kindly considered the lives and properties that are been maimed, killed and destroyed respectively by the Boko Haram and Fulani Cattle herders through UN R2P having been solidly relied on paragraphs 138 and 139 above. In some parts of Nigeria, particularly in the north, genocide has been carried out on certain towns, villages and hamlets.
In Nigeria, today the citizenries now live in absolute fear and panic, people can no longer travel to the next town freely for the fear of being killed or kidnapped. Nigerians are at cold war with one another. The leaders and the Fulanis are beating war drums while the south west and south-south are also in preparation for war as a result, a Yoruba Activist, Mr. Sunday Igboho leading his team to war with the Fulani cattle herders resident in south west Nigeria.
In all of these, Nigerian “Rulers” have shown lip serves to the people. They treat the terrorists preferentially while activists with genuine intentions who are opposed to government silence on threats to corporate existence and threats to lives are being clamped down culminated in Namdi Kanu going into exile, Mr. Omoyele Sowore restricted to Abuja city by a court order, while the terrorists move freely all over the country with sophisticated fire arms (AK47), even under age herders go about with AK47
Why We Demand for Response To Protection In Nigeria
1) In Nigeria, there is real genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing.
2) Should war breaks out in Nigeria, with her population of about 200million, no nation will have the facility and financial capability to accommodate any refugees that will flee from Nigeria to such country.
3) It will help the global body to forestall unnecessary spending on world peace mission
4) Acting fast would prevent the war and saved the global body from going through stress that associates with peace mission.
5) If the UN invokes the two sections quoted above on Nigeria, many lives will be saved.
6) It is manifested that Nigerian government has failed woefully in its primary duty to protect the people
The Causes Of Terrorism In Nigeria?
According to research, “well-known root causes can be classified as follows: economic, religious, ethnic and political. Some organizations have examined these studies in more depth. In addition, religious and ethnic tensions are found to cause terrorism. Historically, Nigeria has experienced intermittent ethno-religious clashes that have claimed thousands of lives.”
Finally, they say, “a stitch in time saves nine” the earlier the world body intervenes, the better and more lives will be saved.
Thanks
Pastor Ifeanyi Odili
National Secretary,
Campaign for Democracy CD,
& Convener, Conference of Nigerian Civil Rights Activists CNCRA.