Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10ABUJA81
2010-01-22 17:36:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Abuja
Cable title:  

TENSE CALM REIGNS IN JOS

Tags:  PREL PGOV PINR PHUM CASC SOCI KCRM NI 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO5566
OO RUEHPA
DE RUEHUJA #0081/01 0221737
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O R 221736Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY ABUJA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0051
INFO ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHOS/AMCONSUL LAGOS 0046
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 0019
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 000081 

SIPDIS
STATE FOR AF/FO, AF/W, AF/RSA, CA, DRL, INR/AA
AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE PASS TO AMEMBASSY MALABO

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/01/22
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR PHUM CASC SOCI KCRM NI
SUBJECT: TENSE CALM REIGNS IN JOS

REF: ABUJA 0071; ABUJA 0056; ABUJA 0044

CLASSIFIED BY: James P. McAnulty, Political Counselor, U.S. Embassy
Abuja, Political Section; REASON: 1.4(B),(D)

-------

SUMMARY

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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 000081

SIPDIS
STATE FOR AF/FO, AF/W, AF/RSA, CA, DRL, INR/AA
AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE PASS TO AMEMBASSY MALABO

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/01/22
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR PHUM CASC SOCI KCRM NI
SUBJECT: TENSE CALM REIGNS IN JOS

REF: ABUJA 0071; ABUJA 0056; ABUJA 0044

CLASSIFIED BY: James P. McAnulty, Political Counselor, U.S. Embassy
Abuja, Political Section; REASON: 1.4(B),(D)

--------------

SUMMARY

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1. (SBU) A tense calm reigned over Jos city as of January 22. The
state government continues to impose a night-time curfew. Violence
has largely ended within the city limits, but may continue at some
surrounding locations. Unconfirmed reports estimate over 300
deaths. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) put
the number of displaced persons at over 25,000, but this figure is
declining as some persons have already returned to their homes.
END SUMMARY.




2. (C) A tense calm prevailed in Jos as a state-ordered curfew
continued into a fifth day, January 22. Garuba Clinton, Special
Assistant to Plateau Governor Jang, informed PolCouns via text
message January 21 that peace was "gradually returning to the city
amidst fear and tension." He described the recent violence as
"terrible" and a "great loss" to both Nigeria and the Plateau State
Government.




3. (SBU) U.S. citizens residing in Jos, including a consular
warden, confirmed to Consul January 21 that calm had returned to
the city, but the situation remained tense. According to one
contact, attackers had destroyed the entire district of Dogan
Karfi, inhabited by Muslim residents. Embassy is attempting to
verify other reports of the killing of the inhabitants of an entire
village south of the city. (COMMENT: As with the November 2008
riots, Embassy has heard differing accounts of which communities
have suffered the most from the latest round of violence in Jos.
END COMMENT.)




4. (C) The ICRC distributed food, water, and blankets to 12
government sites in Jos that are housing displaced persons. ICRC
spokesperson Robin Waudo told PolOff that 25,119 displaced persons

are currently at these sites, but the numbers declined during the
day as residents left to inspect their homes (or what may remain of
them). Six teams of ICRC monitors visited shelters January 22 to
deliver supplies, assess needs, and count displaced persons.




5. (SBU) Some reports indicate that violence may be continuing
sporadically at some areas outside the city limits. Authorities
continue to count casualties and displaced persons. Current
estimates place the number of fatalities at around 300 with several
hundred injured. Recurring reports state that there has been more
extensive damage to houses and businesses during this outbreak of
violence than in November 2008. The Nigerian Emergency Management
Agency (NEMA) has identified water and food as priority needs.
NEMA has submitted its assessment to Vice President Goodluck
Jonathan, but told Embassy that international humanitarian
assistance would probably not be necessary. That said, the Spanish
chapter of Doctors without Borders has already arrived to provide
help. Additionally, the Bauchi State Red Cross has sent volunteers
to the troubled city. Waudo, the ICRC rep, also reported that
police held 342 suspects in police custody. ICRC volunteer doctors
treated 22 wounded individuals, and performed emergency surgery on
three of them at a local hospital.




6. (SBU) A Conflict Mitigation and Management Regional Council
(CMMRC)(Inter-Religious Council) established by USAID worked
closely with government officials and security personnel to restore
calm. CMMRC broadcast media jingles, focusing on youth, who had

ABUJA 00000081 002 OF 002


committed most of the destruction, to stabilize the situation.
USAID-funded Councils in neighboring Kano and Kaduna states held
meetings and liaised with security and government agencies to
prevent the spread of violence to their jurisdictions.




7. (C) Political posturing over the violence has already begun.
Jonathan Mark, Special Assistant to Senate President David Mark,
claimed to PolCouns January 21 that senior politicians associated
with Plateau State had instigated the violence as a way of
discrediting Governor Jang and preventing him from running for a
second term. In a separate conversation January 21 at the Senate
complex in Abuja, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairperson
Jibril Aminu criticized the governor for exerting less control over
the state than his predecessors, including military governors.




8. (C) Officials in nearby Kano State informed the Ambassador
during a trip there January 21 that they had closed their southern
border crossings (in the direction of Plateau State),except for a
few passenger vehicles, which security forces were searching for
weapons. The governor, who attends daily security briefings, has
requested military reinforcements. Military and police personnel
have initiated patrols in the capital, Kano City, in a "show of
force" to prevent any cross-over of the violence.




9. (U) Embassy coordinated this telegram with ConGen Lagos.
SANDERS