Bring the Perpetrators to Book!
For a commission of inquiry composed of elected representatives of the
people of Baga community, trade unions, civil societies and rights group to
investigate the genocide
Press Statement
The Socialist Party of
Nigeria (SPN) condemns the horrible massacre of about 187 people in Baga, Borno
State on Friday 19 April 2013 by men of the Joint Task Force (JTF). Over 2,000
houses were also reportedly burnt by the rampaging soldiers. This mass killing is by all standards a genocide; a crime for which not
only the soldiers who committed this atrocity but also President Goodluck
Jonathan as their Commander-in-Chief should be held to account.
The JTF were allegedly
engaged in a shootout with members of the deadly Boko Haram sect when this
horrible massacre occurred. The Socialist Party of
Nigeria (SPN) completely abhors the aims, objectives and methods of the Boko
Haram sect which only helps to strengthen the repressive abilities of the
state. However this does not in any way justify the ruthless killings and
systematic genocide being carried out by the Nigerian State in various part of
the North since 2009 under the guise of fighting terrorism.
As many international observers
have noted, most of the estimated over 3,000 casualties of this anti-terrorism
conflict since 2009 are innocent civilians caught in the fires of both Boko
Haram and the JTF. This is aside tens of thousands more arrested and
languishing in jail without any clear proof, aside being Muslims or
Northerners, of association with Boko Haram or any other violent sect.
The excuse of the army for
this horrendous genocide that "the Boko Haram fighters were using
civilians as human shields" is very insensitive and ridiculous. It only
shows that the "kill and go" mentality of the army elevated to the
status of a state policy during the dark days of military despotism still
largely remains with us today.
The initial attempts to
cover up this crime within the first few hours of the killings demonstrate that
President Jonathan's alleged vow to fish out the perpetrators is merely a play
to the gallery. Rights groups, media and relief organisations were prevented
from gaining access into Baga in the first 24 hours after the carnage. No one should place any trust in a any committee setup by the government
to investigate this killing as such committees as usual would only succeed in
sweeping this crime under the carpet.
We demand a commission of
enquiry to be composed of the representatives of the people of Baga, elected
representatives of the labour movement, civil society and rights groups to
investigate this carnage and recommend for trial all those involved in this
brutal genocide
Taken together with
happenings over the last few months in Nigeria including the increasing
clampdown on democratic rights, we believe this genocide is a to signal a new
step in President Jonathan's clear motive to impose a brutal police-state on
Nigeria and Nigerians. At this rate and unless the
labour movement intervenes urgently and decisively with actions that can unite
Nigeria's working and poor masses across ethnic and religious lines, Nigeria
risk being plunged into an internecine ethnic and religious conflict and
bloodletting.
This is why beyond issuing
occasional press statements to condemn government excesses, the SPN is
specifically urging the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union
Congress (TUC) to make Baga a special case by naming a day for nationwide
rallies and mass demonstrations to protest this genocide and demand justice. We
urge all pro-masses organisations including the Joint Action Front (JAF) to
publicly condemn this carnage with protest and demonstrations.
The root of the Boko haram
insurgency as well as other violent crisis in other parts of the country is the
unresolved nationality question as well as the widespread discontent over
issues of poverty, unemployment, homelessness and the unbridled corruption of
the capitalist ruling elite in a country endowed with vast oil and mineral
wealth. Brutal military and police clampdown cannot resolve this crisis, it
will only escalate it.
To tackle the crisis of
insecurity and ensure the hardworking but poor people of Nigeria have access to
a decent, safe and fulfilling existence requires the overthrow of the corrupt,
inept and anti-poor capitalist ruling class in power today and the enthronement
of a democratic worker and poor masses. For now only the Socialist Party of
Nigeria (SPN) has the appropriate political and socio-economic program to
tackle the root of Boko Haram insurgency which is the mass discontent over
economic inequality and access to education, jobs and decent life. We therefore
call on all those dissatisfied with the situation of security in Nigeria coupled
with anti-poor policies of the ruling elites which further exacerbate it to
join the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) so that we can fight collectively to
rescue Nigeria.
Signed
Segun Sango
Protem National Chairman
No comments:
Post a Comment