Vatican Says Nigeria’s Killings Not One Sided

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, has refuted claims that the attacks in the north affect only Christians, saying that they affect Muslims too, as they stem from social causes.

 Parolin stated this on Tuesday in Rome while speaking on the sidelines of the presentation of a report on religious freedom, compiled by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).

Reacting to the increased reports of Christian persecution in Nigeria, the cardinal disclosed that the disputes between herders and farmers in Nigeria’s north-central region are a pointer that the conflict was “not a religious conflict”.

“We should also recognise that many Muslims in Nigeria are themselves victims of this same intolerance,” he said.

“These are extremist groups that make no distinctions in pursuing their goals. They use violence against anyone they see as an opponent.”

At a separate launch of the ACN report in the UK parliament on the same day, John Bakeni, bishop of the Diocese of Maiduguri, stated that the underlying causes of violence in Nigeria are complicated and he attributed them to factors like poverty, climate change and clash for land ownership. 

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