What changed

B90117/2024

B90119/2024

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on recent attacks on Christmas Eve in Plateau State in Nigeria

The European Parliament,

– having regard itsto Rule 144,144 of its Rules of Procedure,

Whereas, between the 23 and 25 of December 2023, in Plateau state, Nigeria, a series of attacks devastated at least 17 rural communities in the regions of Bokkos and Barkin Ladi, resulting in a reported minimum of 200 fatalities, over 300 wounded and 10.000 people displaced, according to local authorities and international organizations; whereas guns and machetes were used by the attackers; whereas responsibility for these attacks remains unclaimed;

whereas on Christmas Eve 2023, at least 160 people were murdered by Fulani militants in the Christian-majority Bokkos and Barkin-Ladi areas of Plateau State in Nigeria;

Whereas, on the 23 and 24 of January 2024, a new wave of violent attacks occurred in multiple villages located in the regions of Mangu and Barkin Ladi, in Plateau state, leading to at least 30 reported fatalities and numerous injuries, including women and children; whereas there were reports indicating extensive destruction of houses and property during these attacks;

whereas more than 300 people suffered injuries or lost their homes, reportedly 8 churches were incinerated and 15,000 people were internally displaced because of the attacks;

Whereas multiple reports highlight an excessively delayed response by security forces, leaving communities in these remote areas vulnerable to violence.

whereas since 2010, heavily armed militia have persistently targeted farming and herding communities in Middle Belt states; whereas while the motives of the militia groups are diverse, a significant portion of them are driven by ethnoreligious factors, disproportionately targeting Christians;

Whereas Plateau state is characterized by its rich ethnic and religious diversity; whereas the historical inter-communal conflict in the region has resulted in the loss of hundreds of lives in recent years;

whereas Islamic terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) specifically target Christians and Muslims who reject extremism, while the government’s security response is ineffective;

Whereas the consequences of climate change and the expansion of agriculture contribute to sharp competition for land and water, intensifying conflicts between farmers and herders and prompting the migration of nomadic cattle herders from the arid northern regions of Nigeria to the south;

whereas the attacks have long-term social, economic, and political implications, posing significant challenges to peaceful coexistence and stability within the Federal State of Nigeria;

Whereas Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, is a key player in Africa's economy with abundant resources, galloping demographics and extreme inequality; whereas Nigeria suffers of the presence of terrorist groups, notably Boko Haram and holds an important role in regional and international security forums;

whereas the Observatory of Religious Freedom in Africa (ORFA) report from February 2023 revealed that in the three-year reporting period up to 2022, 12,793 Christians and 4,497 Muslims had been killed in Nigeria in the context of attacks by ‘terror groups’;

Deplores the ongoing attacks in Plateau state and expresses solidarity with the affected communities;

Whereas the implementation of blasphemy laws and the implementation of Sharia law exacerbate a culture of mob violence against Christians and other religious groups;

Urges the Nigerian government to prioritize the safeguarding of its citizens, deploy efficient security measures, and ensure a prompt and concrete response to incidents of violence; calls on the Nigerian authorities to conduct thorough investigations and bring perpetrators of violence to justice, ensuring accountability for human rights violations;

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Expresses concern about multiple reports indicating an apparent lack of engagement and intervention by federal government troops, who have been present in Plateau state since the Christmas attacks;

Strongly condemns the recent acts of violence, loss of life, and destruction of property against the Christian population in Central Plateau State in Nigeria;

Urges the Nigerian Government to diligently implement the National Livestock Transformation Plan, aiming to protect the interests of both farmers and pastoralists; stresses the imperative for additional measures, including the reinforcement of conflict mediation, resolution and reconciliation mechanisms;

Calls on the Nigerian authorities at all levels to swiftly take concrete measures to end the attacks and to pursue effective security measures to protect the life and property of the people of Plateau State and provide guarantees of non-recurrence;

Deeply worried about the increasing impact of climate change on lives and livelihoods, particularly in Nigeria's Middle Belt, emphasizing the pressing need for long-term solutions to protect natural resources and ensure equitable access;

Calls for a thorough investigation to identify the sponsors, actors, routes, and modus operandi of the attackers and to hold the perpetrators and those suspected of being complicit in the crimes accountable, in order to bring justice to those affected by the attacks;

Calls foron the EUauthorities to continueensure tothat provideessential humanitarian assistance is provided to the devastated communities ofand Plateauto stateprovide andadequate reinforcecompensation itsto developmentall effortspeople inwho Nigeria;have suffered losses from the attacks;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the EU High Representative, EEAS, the President and Parliament of Nigeria and the OACPS-EU JPA.

Reiterates its call on the Nigerian Federal authorities to repeal the blasphemy laws at federal and state level;

Calls on the EU and the Members States to address the failure of security in rural parts of Nigeria in its exchanges with the Nigerian authorities at all levels;

Calls on the Special Envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) to visit Nigeria and meet with relevant actors to promote religious freedom and peaceful interreligious coexistence in Nigeria;

Regrets that the High Representative/Vice President did not make a formal statement following the attacks on 24 December;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the EU Institutions, the Member States and the Government and Parliament of Nigeria.