Nigeria: Christianity
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to (a) monitor violence against Christian communities in northern Nigeria and (b) support efforts to hold perpetrators to account.
Answered by Mr Hamish Falconer
The UK Government continues to monitor events in northern Nigeria closely. Terrorist groups, including Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa, target all those who do not subscribe to their extremist views, including both Christians and Muslims. These incidents are distinct from the ongoing intercommunal violence across Nigeria. We regularly raise both issues with key stakeholders in Nigeria, most recently during Lord Collins's visit to Nigeria (28-30 May), where he held discussions with the Foreign Minister, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Head of the National Centre for Counter-Terrorism, and UN partners on these issues. Additionally, through the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership (SDP), the UK is working with Nigeria to tackle violence against all civilian communities, including those of different religious backgrounds and belief systems. As part of this dialogue, we previously welcomed a commitment from Nigeria on timely, effective, and human rights compliant investigations of, and prosecutions for, terrorism crimes.
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