Yelwa massacre
Template:Short description Template:Use Nigerian English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Campaignbox Nigerian Sharia conflict
The Yelwa massacre was a series of related incidents of religious violence between Muslims and Christians which took place in Yelwa, Nigeria between February and May 2004. These incidents killed over 700 muslims.<ref name="Human Rights Watch">"Revenge in the Name of Religion", Human Rights Watch, 26 May 2005.</ref> it occurred on 4 February 2004 when armed Men attacked the Christians of Yelwa, killing more than 78 Christians, including at least 48 who were worshipping inside a church compound.<ref name="Human Rights Watch" /> Then on May 2 and 3, large numbers of well-armed Christians surrounded the town of Yelwa and killed around seven hundred Muslims.Yelwa and many surrounding villages suffered massive destruction, and tens of thousands of people were displaced.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
The February killings inflamed tensions between the communities which had been growing since the 2001 Jos riots when conflict between Muslims and Christians resulted in 1,000 dead. On 2 May 2004 local Christians responded to the February incident by attacking Muslims in Yelwa, resulting in roughly 700 muslims.<ref name="Human Rights Watch" /> According to some sources, Muslim girls were forced to eat pork and other foods forbidden to Muslims and some were even raped.<ref name="atlantic">"God's Country", The Atlantic March 2008.</ref>
Background
Thousands of people have died in fighting since the passage of Sharia law in the Muslim-dominated northern region after a return to civilian rule in 1999.<ref>BBC profile of Nigeria. BBC News (16 May 2013).</ref> The origin of the conflict between the Christian Tarok and the Muslim Fulani is rooted in their competing claims over the fertile farmlands of Plateau State in central Nigeria.<ref>"Nigerian Muslims struggle to cope after village massacre", The Guardian (8 May 2004).</ref>
See also
References
External links
- Eyewitness: Nigeria's 'town of death'
- Nigeria: Prevent Further Bloodshed in Plateau State – Human Rights Watch
- 2004 murders in Nigeria
- Church massacres in Africa
- Massacres in 2004
- 2000s massacres in Nigeria
- Attacks on churches in Nigeria
- 2004 in Christianity
- 2004 in Islam
- Religiously motivated violence in Nigeria
- 21st century in Kebbi State
- Crime in Kebbi State
- Massacres of Muslims
- Rape in Nigeria
- Violence against women in Nigeria