CENTRAL NIGERIA OVERCOMING DANGEROUS SPEECH AND ENDEMIC RELIGIOUS DIVIDES UNITED STATES COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM Views of a window inside the National Church of Nigeria (L) and the front of the Abuja National Mosque (R), on USCIRF visits to Nigeria in 2018. CENTRAL NIGERIA OVERCOMING DANGEROUS SPEECH AND ENDEMIC RELIGIOUS DIVIDES By Ferdaouis Bagga, Policy Analyst FEBRUARY 2019 COMMISSIONERS Tenzin Dorjee Chair Kristina Arriaga, Vice Chair Gayle Manchin, Vice Chair Gary L. Bauer Anurima Bhargava Andy Khawaja Nadine Maenza Johnnie Moore Tony Perkins Erin D. Singshinsuk Executive Director United States Commission on International Religious Freedom WHO WE ARE WHAT IS RELIGIOUS FREEDOM The U.S. Commission on International Religious Free- Inherent in religious freedom is the right to believe or dom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal not believe as one’s conscience leads, and live out one’s government commission created by the 1998 Interna- beliefs openly, peacefully, and without fear. Freedom of tional Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) that monitors the religion or belief is an expansive right that includes the universal right to freedom of religion or belief abroad. freedoms of thought, conscience, expression, associa- USCIRF uses international standards to monitor viola- tion, and assembly. While religious freedom is Ameri- tions of religious freedom or belief abroad and makes ca’s first freedom, it also is a core human right interna- policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary tional law and treaty recognize; a necessary component of State, and Congress. USCIRF Commissioners are of U.S. foreign policy and America’s commitment to appointed by the President and Congressional leaders defending democracy and freedom globally; and a vital of both political parties. The Commission’s work is sup- element of national security, critical to ensuring a more ported by a professional, nonpartisan staff of regional peaceful, prosperous, and stable world. subject matter experts. USCIRF is separate from the State Department, although the Department’s Ambas- sador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom is a non-voting, ex officio Commissioner. PROFESSIONAL STAFF Dwight Bashir, Director of Research and Policy Elizabeth K. Cassidy, Director of International Law and Policy Thomas Kraemer, Director of Operations and Finance Isaac Six, Director of Congressional Affairs and Communications Tina L. Mufford, Deputy Director of Research and Policy Ferdaouis Bagga, Policy Analyst Jason Morton, Policy Analyst Dominic Nardi, Policy Analyst Scott Weiner, Policy Analyst Kurt Werthmuller, Policy Analyst Keely Bakken, Researcher Alex Iverson, Researcher Patrick Greenwalt, Researcher Zach Udin, Research Assistant Kirsten Lavery, International Legal Specialist Javier Peña, Communications Specialist Henry Young, Management and Program Analyst UNITED STATES COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM Table of Contents Executive Summary ..................................................1 Conflict in the Middle Belt Region ........................................3 Addressing Hateful and Dangerous Speech ................................5 Countering or Spreading Divisions: Media and Mass Messages .................7 Messages from Elites and Status Influencers in Public Fora ....................9 Polarizing Narratives that Fuel and Reflect Religious Tensions ................. 11 U.S. Policy and Support for NGO Initiatives ................................ 13 Conclusion and Recommendations ...................................... 15 Executive Summary n Nigeria, a range of state and societal violations be a flashpoint for further violence along ethnic and have adversely impacted religious freedom condi- religious lines, in part due to polarization and disinfor- Itions in the country. As a result, since 2009, USCIRF mation, voter suppression and intimidation, and other has recommended the U.S. Department of State threats to a peaceful process. designate Nigeria as a “country of particular concern,” A number of religious leaders, non-governmental or CPC. Some of the most egregious are the denials of organizations, and government actors have proposed the right to life, liberty, and the security of people on a range of solutions and made attempts to repair the basis of religion or belief. Divides between religious deeply entrenched religious divisions, such as making communities and the spread of dangerous speech statements condemning hate speech or participating that incites further violence often prompt or escalate in interfaith fora, with varied success. The United these violations. The Nigerian government has yet to States has also supported efforts to improve peace and find sustainable solutions to perennial conflict and security for Nigerian citizens to freely manifest their religious polarization. In addition, the terrorist group religion or belief. Towards that end, the U.S. Commis- Boko Haram has waged war in Nigeria for 10 years to sion on International Religious Freedom recommends eliminate religious freedom and impose an absolute that the United States increase its efforts to creatively religious authority in the northeast. State security and more effectively decrease religious discord, forces, too, have arrested, detained, and killed indi- dangerous speech, and violence in the Middle Belt. viduals over differences of religion or belief. Moreover, The U.S. government should utilize the tools available the longstanding problem of sectarian conflict around under the International Religious Freedom Act, and ethno-religious divides, resources, and property and enter into a binding agreement with the Nigerian citizenship rights between citizens in the Middle Belt government on commitments to improve religious region of the country escalated in 2018. freedom. Commitments could include enhancing Dangerous speech and polarizing narratives programs to counter hate speech and incitement to around religion have fueled violence, discrimination, violence based on religious identity; supporting the and segregation between Muslims and Christians for training of police and military officers on human decades, particularly, in central Nigeria. Some reli- rights standards and religious tolerance; and devel- gious and political leaders have warned that national oping tailored conflict prevention mechanisms at the and state elections in February and March 2019 could local, state, and federal levels. OVERCOMING DANGEROUS SPEECH AND ENDEMIC RELIGIOUS DIVIDES 1 Conflict in the Middle Belt Region onflict in the Middle Belt—a variously defined and cattle rustlers to wreak havoc indiscriminately region extending across multiple administra- across Nigeria. Finally, violence in this region can also Ctive geopolitical zones, including North-Cen- be a product of deep societal mistrust and historical tral Nigeria—arises from a web of issues and includes grievances between some religious and ethnic groups. violent clashes between farmers and herders. These Among the many diverse language and ethnic groups clashes also resemble farmer-herder conflict in other residing in the Middle Belt are the Adara, Bachama, parts of Nigeria and West Africa, and are a product Bassa, Berom, Fulani, Irigwe, and Tiv. Often these eth- of an intense competition for resources and liveli- nic groups are further defined according to a predom- hoods. The scale and sites of clashes are related to inant ethno-religious affiliation, such as “Christian high population growth, expansion of farms, and Bachama” or “Muslim Fulani.” environmental degradation in northern states. Inter- Although Boko Haram terrorist violence continues communal conflict is also interlinked with policies to make the northeast one of the most dangerous regions on “indigeneity” and citizenship. Although originally in Nigeria, reports indicate that in 2018 conflict in the intended as a protective measure, such policies have Middle Belt has had an even greater death toll and more marginalized certain ethnic and religious groups who human suffering. This is especially true in states to the may not be recognized as indigenous to their state east of the capital territory of Abuja, including Plateau, of residence. In addition, the proliferation of small Nasarawa, Benue, Taraba, and Adamawa states, which arms has empowered more criminal gangs, bandits, saw the most sectarian violence in 2018 (Figure 1). Figure 1: Council on Foreign Relations Nigeria Security Tracker; states in descending order according to total number of deaths in 2018. SECTARIAN VIOLENCE BY STATE/YEAR 01/18 02/18 03/18 04/18 05/18 06/18 07/18 08/18 09/18 10/18 11/18 Benue Plateau Taraba Adamawa Nasarawa Kaduna Kogi Cross River Zamfara Delta Ebonyi Katsina 100 200 100 200 100 200 100 200 100 200 100 200 100 200 100 200 100 200 100 200 100 200 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 TOTAL DEATHS OVERCOMING DANGEROUS SPEECH AND ENDEMIC RELIGIOUS DIVIDES 3 Figure 2: Council on Foreign Relations Nigeria Security Tracker; with 2,037 total deaths from sectarian conflict recorded in 2018. SECTARIAN VIOLENCE BY YEAR 2000 1500 1000 TOTAL DEATHS TOTAL 500 0 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 YEAR Moreover, some media reports and security and by Fulani militia, killed more than 200 people; Human violent incident trackers showed more violent incidents Rights Watch called this tragedy “a clear indication and fatalities due to intercommunal conflict, surpass- that the decades-long conflict has reached new levels of ing the damage due to Boko Haram attacks in 2018.