Conflict and Displacement in Nigeria
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, estimates that there are around 22,000 Nigerian refugees worldwide. Since 1999, more than 14,000 Nigerians have been killed and millions have been displaced because of violence. Accurate statistics for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Nigeria, who have been forced to flee their homes but unlike refugees have not crossed an international border, are not as readily available. The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) reports that it is difficult to calculate the number of IDPs in Nigeria because there has never been a systematic registration or verification of the internally displaced. In addition, many displaced persons in Nigeria return home again soon after a conflict has subsided. In the most recent report by IDMC, the number of IDPs in Nigeria is listed as ranging anywhere from 500,000 to millions.
According to IDMC, displacement in Nigeria is mainly a result of poverty and unequal access to power and resources. In the latest issue of Vanity Fair, there is an interesting article about the ongoing violence in the Niger Delta, a conflict that is literally fueled by oil and the control of resources in southern Nigeria. The majority of residents in the Niger Delta have not benefited from the decades of oil extraction by foreign oil companies. The resulting damage to the environment has also bred resentment and militancy among the local population.
Clashes between the militant group the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) and the Nigerian military contributes to the instability and displacement in the region. After a wave of attacks by MEND in February 2006, one sixth of Nigeria's oil production capacity shut down. The kidnapping of foreign oil workers for ransom is a common occurrence. Dozens of people were kidnapped and some killed in the Niger Delta in 2006, with a marked increase in violence towards the end of the year. In 2007, the attacks and kidnappings continue, and MEND threatens even more violence to come.
Another important development in Nigeria that may have a significant affect on the country's stability is the upcoming election in April. If successful, the election will lead to Nigeria's first democratic hand over of power. The US Institute of Peace has just issued a report on the election entitled The Fitful Path to Democratic Citizenship. Historically, elections in Nigeria have been rife with electoral fraud. If the upcoming election is seen as unfair it may lead to politically fueled tensions and conflict. According to a 2006 report by the International Crisis Group (ICG), Nigeria’s federal system and politics are deeply flawed, which contributes to the rising violence that could push the country into chaos. Observers fear that if the run-up to the presidential election prove to be violent or divisive then thousands of people could be displaced.
At Refugees International we have been monitoring the humanitarian situation in Nigeria. Although RI has never conducted a field mission there, we continue to watch the level of displacement and violence to determine if we can have an impact through our advocacy. At the very least, we will keep tracking developments in Nigeria and highlight any important events for you.
According to IDMC, displacement in Nigeria is mainly a result of poverty and unequal access to power and resources. In the latest issue of Vanity Fair, there is an interesting article about the ongoing violence in the Niger Delta, a conflict that is literally fueled by oil and the control of resources in southern Nigeria. The majority of residents in the Niger Delta have not benefited from the decades of oil extraction by foreign oil companies. The resulting damage to the environment has also bred resentment and militancy among the local population.
Clashes between the militant group the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) and the Nigerian military contributes to the instability and displacement in the region. After a wave of attacks by MEND in February 2006, one sixth of Nigeria's oil production capacity shut down. The kidnapping of foreign oil workers for ransom is a common occurrence. Dozens of people were kidnapped and some killed in the Niger Delta in 2006, with a marked increase in violence towards the end of the year. In 2007, the attacks and kidnappings continue, and MEND threatens even more violence to come.
Another important development in Nigeria that may have a significant affect on the country's stability is the upcoming election in April. If successful, the election will lead to Nigeria's first democratic hand over of power. The US Institute of Peace has just issued a report on the election entitled The Fitful Path to Democratic Citizenship. Historically, elections in Nigeria have been rife with electoral fraud. If the upcoming election is seen as unfair it may lead to politically fueled tensions and conflict. According to a 2006 report by the International Crisis Group (ICG), Nigeria’s federal system and politics are deeply flawed, which contributes to the rising violence that could push the country into chaos. Observers fear that if the run-up to the presidential election prove to be violent or divisive then thousands of people could be displaced.
At Refugees International we have been monitoring the humanitarian situation in Nigeria. Although RI has never conducted a field mission there, we continue to watch the level of displacement and violence to determine if we can have an impact through our advocacy. At the very least, we will keep tracking developments in Nigeria and highlight any important events for you.
Labels: Nigeria
