Nigeria: Catholic archbishop meets with VP to discuss Jos violence

"It was a positive and fruitful meeting," Archbishop Ignatius A. Kaigama of Jos said following a meeting at the Presidential Residence in Abuja, Nigeria, with the Vice-President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, regarding the incidents that broke out January 17th in Jos, the capital of the Plateau State (see Fides 20/1/2010 ). The meeting was attended by the Governor of Plateau State and other local personalities, including some major national leaders, as well as Archbishop John Onaiyekan of Abuja, President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), which brings together main Christian denominations in Nigeria.

Archbishop Kaigama described the meeting to Fides: "It was a very frank and direct meeting, in which everyone could express the bitterness, anger, and fears of their community, whether Christian or Muslim. In this way, we reach a better understanding of each other's positions and the underlying causes of the crisis. I can say that the discussion showed that religion is not the cause of the clashes. The real causes of tensions and violence are social, political, ethnic, economic, and even involve clashes between different personalities. When attacking a church or a mosque, it is done because both are the most visible sign of the community that you want to hit, not because they are places of worship."

In his address, Vice-President Jonathan (who is currently acting as Head of State in the absence of President Umaru Yar'Adua, who was admitted to a foreign hospital in November) has stressed that the Plateau State is a 'hinge' which serves as a liaison between the Muslim north and Christian south, and that "although in the past there have been some minor social conflicts, what we have seen recently is somewhat embarrassing, and we must consider a solution together, to put an end to it."

At the end of the meeting, a committee of 15 members (including Archbishop Kaigama) was established to seek a lasting solution to the crises of the Plateau State.
Archbishop Kaigama tells Fides of an initial assessment on what religious leaders can do to resolve the problem: "Religious leaders must prevent religion from being used as a scapegoat when tensions arise between communities. We must act now to try to restore peace and avoid using language that incites anger, preaching peace and reconciliation instead."