Religious Violence Plagues Christians and Nigeria

(Compass) – Religious violence continues to plague the central Nigerian state of Plateau, despite the declaration of a state of emergency. Police authorities say Muslims now employ guerilla tactics to attack Christians. Five people died on May 18 in coordinated attacks by Muslim militia on four villages in the Quanpan local government area. A May 28 assault in Langtang left three Christians dead and 3,000 others displaced after their homes were razed. Christians aggrieved over the deaths of relatives and neighbors had earlier launched reprisal attacks on Muslims in Yelwa, killing hundreds. Muslim leaders responded by threatening a full-scale religious war, prompting President Olusegun Obasanjo to declare a state of emergency in Plateau. Christian clergymen publicly criticized Obasanjo for his handling of the crisis and rejected an invitation from Muslim officials to discuss ways to resolve the conflict. The incidents illustrate the complexities of achieving peaceful co-existence in the populous and polarized African country.