Leverage your Diplomatic Weight to Stop Rising Violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, UK MPs, Others to US Govt
By Ralph Madugu
A high-level coalition of human rights leaders and United Kingdom Parliamentarians has asked the United States to use its “diplomatic weight” to put an end to the ever-increasing violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
In a letter by the Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust (HART) sent to the US administration through the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, and co-signed by CSI, titled “Let’s stop the violence against Christians in Nigeria,” the group also made recommendations to the Nigerian government on ways to prevent “total destabilization in the Middle Belt.”
The letter signed by Hassan John, Nigeria Response Lead and Senior Programmes Manager at HART and 7 others, the coalition suggested that to ensure justice and accountability, there is urgent need to put an end to the era of impunity and called for a Special Panel of Inquiry to deliver justice and compensation for victims across Adamawa, Benue, Kaduna, Plateau, Nasarawa, Niger, and Taraba states.
They also advocated for the decentralization of security strategy, emphasizing that it was time to formalise ‘Forest Guards’ or community police forces, since the federal forces have been overstretched.
While proposing the safe resettlement of displaced communities, the coalition said, “We propose a dedicated reconstruction fund managed by local Community Development Associations to bypass bureaucratic diversion and ensure funds actually reach the people.
On empowering grassroots networks in the region, the group stated that communities in the Middle Belt “are systematically underserved compared to the north for humanitarian assistance.
“We urge the deployment of relief through established networks with a long-term frontline presence. Strategic partnerships with local organizations are essential to ensure that food, medical supplies, and basic necessities reach the most vulnerable survivors without delay.
“The Middle Belt is at a breaking point. Without a shift from broad aims to specific, time-bound, and tangible interventions, the region risks total destabilization,” they stated.
20
Post Comment