US Secretary of State John Kerry urged Nigerian political rivals to ensure upcoming elections are not marred by violence and said that more US support in the fight against Boko Haram extremists hinged on a peaceful election process.
Kerry spoke as Nigerian forces fought to repel the Muslim extremists’ latest offensive against Maiduguri, the capital of the northeastern state of Borno, and deadly raids against six villages elsewhere in the region.
“We are prepared to do more, but our ability to do more will depend to some degree on the full measure of credibility, accountability, transparency and peacefulness of this election,” Kerry said at a news conference on Sunday in Lagos, referring to planned Feb. 14 polls. “It is absolutely critical that these elections be conducted peacefully.”
Photo: AFP
The top US diplomat earlier met with the presidential candidates — incumbent Goodluck Jonathan and former head of state Muhammadu Buhari — to stress the importance of preventing a repeat of the deadly post-election riots of 2011.
Kerry said the two rivals pledged their commitment to nonviolence and to counsel their supporters against resorting to violence after the election.
“So let me be clear — anyone who participates in, plans or calls for widespread or systematic violence against the civilian population must be held accountable,” Kerry said.
Jonathan has promised to restore peace to the northeast, where the militants have killed more than 13,000 people since Boko Haram began its insurgency in 2009.
“One of the principal reasons that [US President Barack] Obama asked me to come here at this time is to reinforce to all Nigerians the desire of the US to be able to engage even moreso in the effort to push back against Boko Haram,” Kerry said. “[However,] the quality of the democratic process is important to contributing our ability to do so.”
Kerry said the US was already sharing intelligence with Nigerian authorities and that the scale of international support was not the “limiting factor” in the Nigerian government’s ability to combat the extremists.
Instability stemming from the fighting could strain the electoral process.
Boko Haram’s campaign to build a self-described Islamic-style caliphate is already threatening to disenfranchise about 980,000 displaced people, according to Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency.
The group’s threat has become a regional concern, prompting Nigeria’s neighbors to initiate a multinational task force and help the struggling Nigerian military.
“Nigeria has a critical role to play in the security and prosperity of this continent and beyond. We are committed to helping the electoral process succeed,” Kerry said.
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