High hopes as documentation of mass atrocities in S'East begins

Spread the love

High hopes as documentation of mass atrocities in S’East begins

By Steve Oko

Worried by the rising but undocumented cases of mass atrocities in the South East geopolitical zone, a Non – Governmental Organisation , Alliances for Africa, has commenced documentation of such atrocities.

The objective of the project according to the Executive Director of the NGO, Mrs. Iheoma Obibi, is to develop effective mechanism for documenting atrocities that occur in vulnerable communities and provide support used for demanding accountabilities.

Addressing newsmen in Umuahia shortly after inaugurating the committee for the project, Obibi said time had come to demand accountability from the perpetrators of mass atrocities in South East.

She noted that rape, sexual abuse and state sponsored violence against women had not been properly acknowledged, documented and recognized as atrocities despite the fact that women form the bulk of the victims.

Obibi submitted that although atrocities against women in the South East had not received the needed national and global attention, they were on the increase both in frequency and magnitude.

She identified mass atrocities common in the zone to include : extra judicial killings, state -sponsored violence like python dance , and pastorial farmers’ clash with host communities.

Others were mass arrest, election violence, communal clashes, indiscriminate military barricades and check points.

Obibi said the NGO was committed to documentating all forms of mass atrocities in South East with a view to demanding accountability from government and the perpetrators.

This, she added was to secure justice for the victims and prevent escalation.

” It is our hope that this project will strengthen the capacity of vulnerable communities and force the stakeholders to address the myriad of human rights violations and demand accountability from government “, she said.

Adding her voice, the Legal Adviser of the NGO, Ms Ihuoma Chidire, said the project was aimed at preventing the escalation of mass atrocities by establishing documenting, monitoring and evaluation mechanism which will serve as the working tool to hold perpetrators and government accountable for further mass atrocities.

Members of the team were drawn from different professional bodies including civil society organisations as well as security experts.

Wawa News Global recalls that the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra has constantly called for the investigation of the extra judicial killings of their members and other Biafra agitators in Onitsha, Aba ,Nnewi Port Harcourt and other parts of South South and South East.

End

Share on Facebook

Save

Steve Oko, Publisher/C.E.O, WaWa News Global. For more information on advert placement and news coverage, contact us on: 08038725600, or via email stevemanofgod2000@yahoo.com; wawanewsglobal@gmail.com Always read WaWa News Global - Your most dependable online news platform for the latest breaking news in Nigeria.