WRITTEN QUESTION E-3055/01 by Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the Commission. Sectarian riots in Nigeria.
Date: 2001-11-05
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Nigeria, cooperation policy, political situation, poverty, religious conflict, social situation

C 205 E/22

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

29.8.2002

These changes, when implemented, will bring clear benefits to the people of Turkey and will help the
country to advance in its preparations for Union membership.

Further details on this matter are to be found in the Commission Regular Report on Turkey adopted on
13 November 2001 (1).

(1) SEC(2001) 1756.

(2002/C 205 E/021)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3055/01

by Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the Commission

(5 November 2001)

Subject: Sectarian riots in Nigeria

In the wake of the American air raids on Afghanistan at least 200 persons have been killed over the last
few days in sectarian riots in northern Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are leaving the region owing to the
activities of gangs of Muslim fighters.

What measures does the Commission intend to take to help put an end to these sectarian killings of
civilians? Does it intend to assist the Nigerian Government to address the current crisis and to give
humanitarian aid to the civilians who are forced to abandon their homes?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(7 January 2002)

The principal contributing factor to the cycles of violence that have affected Nigeria is seen as poverty,
combined with the unfulfilled expectations of the younger generation. Unscrupulous political and religious
elders may also exploit the frustrations of the young. This view would seem to be shared by the Nigerian
authorities and these points were identified by their representatives at a donor meeting held in Brussels on
the 19-20 November 2001, as key issues to be taken into consideration by donors.

The Commission has programmes in place or under preparation to alleviate poverty in the short and
longer term. In the short term a programme is under implementation and has earmarked some € 65 million
for micro projects and job creation in the Niger Delta, one of the states worst affected by the crisis. In
addition there is a small project underway to strengthen institutional capacity and provide support to civil
society and media training in Northern Nigeria. In the longer term the Country Support Strategy, which
will soon be completed, has as its overall objective poverty alleviation in six key states. The detailed
programme will aim to tackle the root causes of poverty,
including facilitating access to services and
resources, as well as employment generation, and will be backed by funds amounting to € 552 million.
There are also plans underway to identify confidence building measures in the short term in those areas
seriously affected by insecurity.

In general terms the Commission, through the European Community’s Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO),
only intervenes in countries where the national and local authorities are unable to cope with natural or
man-made disasters, and where the authorities request outside help. So far this has not been the case in
Nigeria, where local authorities have more or less coped with the growing number of internally displaced
people.

the same time a lot of

At
the problems in Nigeria can be considered structural, and short-term
humanitarian aid is not the best instrument to tackle this. Nevertheless the Commission considers it
important to monitor latest developments directly on the ground, and consequently is planning to send an
ECHO mission to Nigeria to perform a risk mapping exercise.