Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, has downplayed the widely posited religious angle in Nigeria’s insecurity challenge, saying the attacks stem from social causes.
Parolin spoke on Tuesday in Rome on the sidelines of the presentation of a report on religious freedom, compiled by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).
Reacting to the increased reports of Christian persecution in Nigeria, the cardinal cited disputes between herders and farmers in Nigeria’s north-central region as an example of the social causes of attacks.
He said the situation was “not a religious conflict”.
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“We should also recognise that many Muslims in Nigeria are themselves victims of this same intolerance,” he said.
“These are extremist groups that make no distinctions in pursuing their goals. They use violence against anyone they see as an opponent.”
At a separate launch of the ACN report in the UK parliament on the same day, John Bakeni, bishop of the Diocese of Maiduguri, said the underlying causes of violence in Nigeria are complex. He attributed them to factors such as poverty, climate change and competition for land.
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However, Bakeni noted that some attacks bore a religious dimension with gunmen attacking churches, priests and other symbols of Christianity “with impunity”.
The remarks from the Catholic leaders come amid mounting concern from international lawmakers over what they have characterised as a Christian genocide in Nigeria.
But the federal government has repeatedly rejected these claims.
After meeting with President Bola Tinubu on the sidelines of the Aqaba Process meeting in Rome this month, Massad Boulos, senior adviser to US President Donald Trump for Arab and African affairs, dismissed the allegations.
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Boulos said terrorists are killing more Muslims than Christians in the country.
He said the US would continue to work with Nigeria to wholly tackle insecurity.
