Nigeria: Renewed clashes claim 200 lives
Date 2010/1/21 11:06:48 | Topic: Afran
| 20100120
africanews
Renewed Muslim and Christian gangs fighting in Nigeria's central city of Jos has increased death toll to nearly 200 since it began three days ago. Nigeria's interim leader Goodluck Jonathan has ordered the deployment of the country's army to restore peace in the city where a 24-hour curfew has been imposed.
nigeria
Residents told the Voice of America (VOA) that the violence had been spreading to neighbouring communities. They said they heard gunshots and saw smoke billowing from several parts of the city throughout Tuesday.
Reports say security forces have ordered everyone to remain indoors after efforts to contain the violence failed. Tanks and armoured personnel carriers have been deployed in a bid to contain the violence.
Local TV stations showed armed police and soldiers manning roadblocks and separating rival gangs of mostly young men armed with homemade guns, bows and arrows, rocks, knives, machetes and clubs.
A worker at the mosque where the uprising began on Sunday told the BBC that 149 bodies had been brought there.
Red Cross officials say 300 people have been injured and 5,000 have been displaced in this latest round of religious violence in the city with a population of 500,000.
Mosques, churches, homes and government buildings have all been torched, according to NAN.
The curfew announcement is being relayed repeatedly over local radio.
Fighting erupted on Sunday when a wealthy Muslim attempted to build a mosque in a Christian-dominated neighbourhood.
Similar clashes in Jos killed more than 1000 people in September 2001. And in 2004, another Muslim and Christian conflict claimed some 700 lives. More recently in 2008, 300 residents died during a similar uprising.
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