Nigeria sends army to control sectarian violence in Jos

The Nigerian government is putting the security of the city of Jos in the hands of its military after several days of sectarian violence that left several hundred dead and thousands injured.

BBC News reports that Nigerian Vice President Goodluck Jonathan made the announcement yesterday that he was sending the army in to prevent further fighting between Christian and Muslims in Jos.

At least 65 Christians and 200 Muslims are believed to have died in religious rioting in Jos in recent days. Mr Jonathan said the situation in Jos is under control and those responsible would be brought to justice. A BBC reporter in the region says the easing of a 24-hour curfew has allowed religious leaders to organise burials.

The BBC also has posted a slideshow of the aftermath of the fighting in Jos.

Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports that the death toll is being revised upward as authorities in Jos and the surrounding towns are able to better assess the situation. Although there has been no official death toll announced, religious leaders and medical workers told AFP that they had counted more than 300 dead. International Red Cross officials said that some 18,000 people fled their homes during the violence.

Bloomberg reports that it is still unclear what exactly triggered the violence in Jos, which is located in central Nigeria (see map). The city lies between the predominantly Muslim north and predominantly Catholic south, and has struggled with sectarian violence over the last decade.

Some reports blame a dispute over the rebuilding of a house destroyed in a clash more than a year ago, while the city’s police commissioner, Greg Anyating, said it was the result of an attack by Muslims on Christians in a church, according to Human Rights Watch. ...

“This is not the first outbreak of deadly violence in Jos, but the government has shockingly failed to hold anyone accountable,” Corinne Dufka, senior West Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch, said....

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