UN urges independent probes into deadly Nigeria, Chad air attacks

UN rights main ‘shocked’ by reports that Nigerian and Chadian forces killed much than 100 civilians and seeks investigations.

The United Nations quality rights main has demanded autarkic investigations into reports that abstracted aerial attacks by the Nigerian and Chadian forces successful bluish Nigeria killed much than 100 civilians.

Nigeria’s subject ‌has been battling “bandits” successful the northwest, often describing them arsenic “terrorists”. It has besides been battling ‌an ‌armed rebellion successful the northeast for 17 years.

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The Nigerian subject and the “bandit” gangs killed astatine slightest 100 civilians connected Sunday successful 1 of the bloodiest days successful the state’s struggle against equipped groups, according to Amnesty International.

Citing witnesses, Amnesty said galore of those killed were women and children, and urged authorities to instantly analyse the onslaught connected a crowded marketplace successful Tumfa village.

“I americium shocked by reports that Nigerian service airstrikes connected a marketplace successful Zamfara authorities killed astatine slightest 100 civilians connected 10 May and injured galore more,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said successful a statement.

He said helium was besides “alarmed and saddened” by the reports of precocious civilian casualties successful attacks since Friday by Chadian jets against Boko Haram camps connected distant islands successful the immense marshland shared by Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and Chad.

The bombardment has reportedly killed dozens of Nigerian fishermen moving connected islands nether Boko Haram control, wherever civilians are forced to wage taxes to the equipped group. Footage verified by the AFP quality bureau showed respective fishermen with terrible burns being treated astatine a infirmary successful Bosso, Niger.

“It is important that some Nigerian and Chadian authorities behaviour prompt, thorough, autarkic and impartial investigations into these disturbing incidents,” Turk said, adding that some militaries indispensable “take each feasible precautions to debar harm to civilians”.

“Their subject operations, including against Boko Haram and the alleged ‘Islamic State West Africa Province’ indispensable beryllium conducted successful afloat compliance with planetary humanitarian instrumentality and planetary quality rights law,” helium said, referring to the ISIL (ISIS) affiliate successful West Africa Province (ISWAP). “Civilians and civilian objects indispensable ne'er beryllium the people of attack.”

Meanwhile, the Nigerian subject said connected Wednesday ⁠that determination ⁠has been nary grounds of civilian casualties successful attacks successful the ⁠northwest Zamfara authorities this month, calling reports of ample decease tolls unverified and misleading.

“No credible, substantiated grounds of civilian casualties has been established done immoderate authoritative appraisal oregon autarkic ⁠verification,” defence office spokesperson Major-General ⁠Michael Onoja said successful a statement.

Onoja claimed that the onslaught was conducted nether planetary humanitarian instrumentality and targeted a “confirmed high-level gathering” based connected quality sources successful a colony wherever “several terrorists were neutralised”.