Yearbook 1996
Nigeria. In 1996, the Commonwealth made fruitless attempts to force Nigeria to restore democracy and respect for human rights. In anticipation of even being able to visit Nigeria, the Commonwealth in April decided to cease weapons sales to Nigeria cancel the sports exchange. However, the sanctions did not come into force immediately, and at a new meeting in June, most of the member states hesitated before sanctions. In particular, the United Kingdom, with major interests in Nigeria, opposed an economic boycott. Just in time for the meeting, in which Nigeria participated, General Juni Abacha, the military junta’s leader, had released five political prisoners and announced that political parties would be formed. The meeting ended with only Canada allowing the sanctions to come into force.
- ABBREVIATIONFINDER.ORG: What does NI stand for? In the field of geography, this two letter acronym means Nigeria. Check this to see its other meanings in English and other 35 languages.
Several organizations working for democracy formed an umbrella organization called the United Democratic Front of Nigeria at a meeting in Oslo on April 1. The meeting was led by Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, one of the leading critics of the military junta. Soyinka had been made responsible by two ministers for two blast attacks in January. In a poster campaign in Lagos, he had been threatened with life.
Imprisoned opposition leader Moshood Abiola’s wife Kudirat was murdered in Lagos on June 4. Like her husband, she had openly criticized Abacha, and therefore the suspicions were directed at the junta. The murder investigators, however, first came to the conclusion that it was a family settlement and allowed to arrest almost the entire Abacha family. Subsequently, three imprisoned prominent opposition politicians within the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) were identified as guilty. Both theories were rejected by the opposition as equally unlikely.
The process that will lead to civilian takeover in 1998 began with the approval of five of 23 applicant organizations as political parties in September. All five were considered conservative and fairly regime friendly.
An old border dispute with Cameroon over the right to the Bakassi Peninsula in the Gulf of Guinea flared up in February and May. In the May fighting, fifty Nigerian soldiers were killed. The fighting was interrupted after UN intervention.
From March, the military changed strategy and, in collaboration with the Cameroon, Niger and Chad military, launched an offensive against Boko Haram, which in the following months drove the movement out of the cities it controlled in the northeast of the country. Boko Haram responded again by stepping up its military actions in Cameroon, Chad and Niger and at the same time launched a campaign of suicide bombers against cities in the northeast and down to Abuja. These were often very young women or girls equipped with suicide vests. The actions cost hundreds of civilian lives. They were supposed to spread terror, but also revealed that Boko Haram was in retreat. It was unable to resist the coordinated military offensive of the four countries.
In September, IOM estimated that 2.1 million. Nigerians were internally displaced as a result of the conflict in the country. Over 90% lived with relatives in other parts of the country and the remaining 10% in overcrowded camps.
In November 2015, a commission of inquiry released the President’s report on the widespread corruption within the military. It revealed fictitious weapons contracts worth several billion. US $.
The military’s offensive against Boko Haram in 2016 pushed the movement into the defensive, and it had to abandon a host of areas it controlled. At the same time, the opportunities for killing civilians were diminished. That figure dropped from 3,500 in 2015 to 550 in 2016. In contrast, the extent of the military’s human rights violations increased. Not only in the northern part of the country, but also towards independence and autonomy movements in the Biafra and Niger Delta in the southern part. The military carried out operations in 30 of the country’s 36 states and Abuja. In the northern part of the country was DKK 14.8 million. civilians affected by the war and at least 2 million. were internally displaced.
At the same time as Boko Haram was being pressed into the defensive, the movement was characterized by internal divisions. In August, IS appointed Abu Musab Al-Barnawi as new leader of the movement. It led to clashes between his supporters and supporters of Abubakar Shekau who insisted that he continue to be the leader of the movement. As of late 2016, the move was de-facto split into two.
In October 2016, Boko Haram released 21 of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls after negotiations. A further 1 were released in November. In May 2017, a further 82 were released following negotiations.
The president’s health was fragile. In June 2016, he had to travel to London for health examinations, and this was followed by several long-term stays in London during 2017, with the Vice President taking over the leadership of the country.
In 2017, UNICEF warned of a drastic increase in Boko Haram’s use of child suicide bombers. In the first 3 months of 2017 alone, Boko Haram carried out 27 attacks of this type in Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad against 30 throughout 2016. The change in tactics was indicative of the movement being militarily pressured.
In September 2017, Nigeria characterized Myanmar’s military behavior towards the Rohingya minority as ethnic cleansing and warned against genocide as in Rwanda in 1994.
Due. The United States and the United Kingdom’s large economic interests in the country keep these countries low profile in criticism of widespread corruption and widespread human rights violations. Nigeria, on the other hand, is close to the US foreign policy. Following pressure from the United States and Israel, on December 31, 2014, the Security Council failed to vote in favor of the Arab League’s peace plan for Palestine. Nigeria is a lucrative market for weapons from the US and the EU.
Amnesty International released a report in November revealing that Shell had been involved in criminal activity in southern Nigeria after the group officially withdrew from Ogoni country in 1993 following fierce international protests. The military dictatorship had retained its security forces in the area, these were partially under Shell’s control and were deployed against the group’s opponents. Shell wanted to return secretly to resume its profitable oil recovery. Amnesty urged authorities in the UK, Nigeria and the Netherlands to review the comprehensive documentation of the group’s criminal activities and assess the possibility of bringing criminal cases.
Population 1996
According to Countryaah.com, the population of Nigeria in 1996 was 107,948,224, ranking number 10 in the world. The population growth rate was 2.540% yearly, and the population density was 118.5242 people per km2.
