US Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday congratulated Nigeria on its recent military successes against Boko Haram, but warned the country will face a blowback if it “cracks down” on the Islamists with excessive force. Speaking at a press conference in the northern city of Sokoto, Kerry praised Nigeria for reclaiming swathes of territory from Boko Haram and releasing thousands of hostages over the past year.
Nigeria has made “important progress”, Kerry said. “Nigeria and its neighbours are degrading Boko Haram’s capabilities.” But Kerry cautioned against a heavy-handed response and emphasised respect for human rights. “In the wake of terrorist activity, some are tempted to crack down on anyone and everyone,” Kerry said. “But extremism can’t be defeated through repression or fear. Fear instilled through repression invites not confidence but contempt,” Kerry said, “it creates terrorists.” Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have accused Nigerian troops of excessive force and extrajudicial killings of suspected Boko Haram insurgents, hundreds of Shiite Muslims and pro-Biafra community of tolerance for peace, progress and political stability in Nigeria. He said that the United States would continue to identify itself with the Sultanate in strengthening religious tolerance and understanding among Nigerians.
He said that being the first secretary of state to visit the seat of the caliphate, all hands should be on deck towards strengthening religious knowledge among Nigerians. Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar had earlier expressed delight at the visit. He said that the council would continue to promote peaceful coexistence among Nigerians for the overall political growth of the country. He explained that religious tolerance and understanding among Nigerians remained the principal objective of the Sultanate in mobilising Nigerians to tolerate one another for peace, progress and political stability of the country .
Gov Aminu Tambuwal, who accompanied Kerry to the palace, said the state government would continued to strengthen peaceful coexistence among the people, irrespective of religious, tribal and political differences. ” We don’t discriminate on religious,tribal, ethnic or political affiliations as we accommodate all for peace and harmony, ” he said. Kerry had a closed door meeting with Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar and some leaders of the two major religions. Gov. Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara and Alhaji Inuwa Abdulkadir, Deputy National Chairman of APC North West, were present during the courtesy visit on the Sultan.
The military has denied the charges. On his third visit to Nigeria in less than two years, Kerry met with traditional and religious leaders, including Sokoto Sultan Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar. Kerry appealed to Nigerians to practise equality and tolerance to “overcome deep-seated ethnic and religious divisions.” His remarks come one day after police reported that a Muslim mob in northern Nigeria killed eight people after torching the house of a Muslim man who stood up for a Christian student accused of blasphemy. Kerry is due to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari later on Tuesday in the Nigerian capital of Abuja as part of a three-nation tour focussed on counterterrorism.
The top US diplomat, who was in Kenya on Monday, is expected to discuss the Boko Haram insurgency, fighting corruption and boosting Nigeria’s moribund economy that has been pummelled by the drop in global oil prices. In its quest to create a fundamentalist Islamic state Boko Haram has killed more than 20,000 people and displaced 2.6 million from their homes.
With homes and businesses destroyed and farmland devastated, the United Nations has warned that some 50,000 children could starve to death this year in Borno state alone if nothing is done. Earlier in August the US government pledged $37 million in aid for victims of Boko Haram as fears of a famine mounted in the ravaged Lake Chad region.
