Hinweis zum Sprachgebrauch in älteren Beiträgen
Der folgende ältere Beitrag kann Sprache und Formulierungen enthalten, die heute nicht mehr den Ansprüchen einer diskriminierungsfreien und sensiblen Ausdrucksweise entsprechen. Er wurde im historischen Kontext verfasst und bewusst unverändert gelassen, um unsere jahrzehntelange Menschenrechtsarbeit zu dokumentieren.
<br/>On occasion of this year’s Christmas celebrations, the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) would like to draw attention to the plight the Christians in Nigeria as well as to the 219 Nigerian schoolgirls who were kidnapped in April 2014. „The abducted schoolgirls from Chibok also stand for the millions of Christians and Muslims who are suffering from the violence in Nigeria,“ said Ulrich Delius, the STP’s Africa-expert, in Göttingen on Tuesday. „Their terrible fate and the suffering of their family members – who have heard nothing about the whereabouts of the hostages for more than half a year – must not be forgotten.“
For Nigeria’s Christians, this Christmas will take place under a dark cloud. Yesterday, 30 people died in two suicide attacks in Gombe and Bauchi in the north-east of the country, where female suicide bombers had struck on a marketplace and a parking lot without prior warning. „We fear that Boko Haram will continue its terror against Christians and Muslims over the Christmas holidays to increase their anxiety and to discredit the Nigerian state,“
warned Delius.
Nigeria’s government has announced that the security forces will increase the security measures throughout the country over Christmas and the New Year celebrations. Thus, there will also be more patrols to give the people a feeling of safety and security.
However, many Christians in Nigeria are not in the mood to celebrate. Terror
and violence have changed the lives of millions of people significantly. More than 1.5 million Christians and Muslims have fled from their homes due to the terror of Boko Haram and the unpredictable counter-measures of the state security forces and allied militias. According to information by the National Emergency Management Agency NEMA, about 850,000 of those displaced people have sought refuge in 31 refugee camps. Hundreds of thousands have found a temporary home at relatives of friends. „But their situation is precarious. They have lost their livelihoods due to the escalating violence – and Nigeria’s corrupt civil protection agency NEMA fails to take care of them,“ said Delius. Also, there is little hope that there might be an end to the violence soon.
Ulrich Delius is available for further questions: +49 (0) 551 49906 27 or 65]G378o2<:C72.
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