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| East/Subsaharan Africa |
| Nigerian leader sorry for army massacre |
| 2003-01-02 |
| Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has publicly apologised for the killing of more than 200 unarmed civilians by the army in Benue State in October 2001. He was speaking at a meeting of local Christian groups in the state capital, Makurdi. "Sorry. My bad..." The army has been accused of several mass killings since civilian rule was restored in Nigeria in 1999. Mr Obasanjo is seeking re-election in April and this Sunday faces a former minister from Benue State in primaries for the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP). Correspondents say the apology may be an attempt to win votes. Not from the people who were massacred, though. They'll probably vote for somebody else. In fact, they're probably registered in South Dakota... The killing of ethnic Tivs was apparently in retaliation for the abduction and murder of 19 soldiers sent to quash fighting between Tivs and Jukuns, the biggest group in neighbouring Taraba State. Sounds pretty much the Nigerian way of looking at things: if you kill them, they won't bother anybody, except for the smell. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |
| #1 Ah, yes, the historic feud between the Tivs and the Jukuns. Much storied, many songs and fables. |
| Posted by: Chuck 2003-01-02 11:20:08 |