AI to UK-Don’t Give Military Weaponry to Nigeria

AI to UK-Don’t Give Military Weaponry to Nigeria
Amnesty International has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to begin investigating alleged human rights violation by Nigerian military against civilians in the war against Boko Haram and stop avoiding justice noting that Britain should stop offering military assistance and weaponry to Nigeria unless Buhari does the needful.
Currently, the UK Government provides military assistance to Nigeria in the fight against Boko Haram. More than 150 British troops have been deployed in the country to offer military training.
Amnesty International’s UK Director, Kate Allen, made the call following President Buhari’s visit to the UK to attend the Supporting Syria Conference in London on Thursday.
“The UK must ensure that any assistance it provides to Nigeria is compliant with human rights law. It should not provide military assistance to Nigerian troops accused of committing human rights violations. All proposed training or other security assistance must be very carefully scrutinized, and all Nigerian military personnel recommended for training should be vetted to ensure the UK is not complicit in any serious human rights violations” Allen said.
She added, “The UK, under its obligations under the Arms Trade Treaty, must also ensure that a rigorous risk assessment is carried out before weapons, ammunition, or other military technologies are sent to Nigeria, and no transfers should take place where there is a clear and substantial risk that they could be used to commit or facilitate atrocities. This is no time for a diplomatic tap-dances around the issues of mass unlawful killings, arbitrary arrest and deaths in detention.
Recall that in a June 2015 report titled, “Stars on their shoulders, blood on their hands,” AI detailed alleged war crimes committed by the Nigerian military.
Amnesty also reiterated its call upon the UK Government to ensure any military assistance provided to Nigeria is in keeping with human rights standards, and not provided to units accused of crimes under international law and other serious violations of human rights.
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