Muslim-Christian Ethnic Massacre In Nigeria Kills 378 Christians

In four Nigerian villages on Sunday, at least 378 members of the Christian Berom ethnic group were killed by members of the Muslim Fulanis. The massacres took place in Zot, Dogo Nahawa, Rastat and Shen. The Wall Street Journal, the London Times and BBC News all report on the massacres. The attackers came at night, fired shots to scare residents out of their homes, and then hacked them with machetes as they rushed out. Some residents were caught in animal traps and fishing nets as they tried to escape, and then hacked to death. Other houses were set on fire with residents in them. Apparently the killings, in villages near the city of Jos, were in revenge for killings in January. (See prior posting.) Survivors reported that Muslims in three of the villages had received phone calls two days before the massacres warning them to leave the area. A BBC analysts says: "These killings are often painted by local politicians as a religious or sectarian conflict. In fact it is a struggle between ethnic groups for fertile land and resources in the region known as Nigeria's Middle Belt."