Speaking in an address at the opening of a two-day Regional Policy Seminar on Responsibility to Protect, organised by Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, the minister insisted that none of the conditions envisaged by the principles of the Responsibility to Protect exists in Nigeria despite the current security challenges.
Date published on SAFPI:
Thursday, 14 June, 2012
Date published on source:
Thursday, 14 June, 2012
Source organisation:
Vanguard
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FG faults calls for foreign intervention on Boko Haram
Abuja: The Federal Government, yesterday, said it had not lost control of the security situation in the north, owing to attacks by the Islamist sect, Boko Haram, as suggested in some quarters, faulting calls for foreign assistance. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru, who spoke in Abuja, said the Nigerian situation has not fallen short of the principles of the United Nations Responsibility to Protect, which, among others, provides for international intervention with coercive measures if a state fails to protect its citizens from mass atrocities.
The Responsibility to Protect Articles 138 and 139 affirms that it is the primary responsibility of a state to protect its populations from mass atrocities; it is the responsibility of the international community to assist states in fulfilling this responsibility through the instrument of the UN.
It also provides that if a state fails to protect its citizens from mass atrocities and peaceful means have failed to secure protection, the international community has the responsibility to intervene, with coercive measures, including use of force as a last resort.
Speaking in an address at the opening of a two-day Regional Policy Seminar on Responsibility to Protect, organised by Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, the minister insisted that none of the conditions envisaged by the principles of the Responsibility to Protect exists in Nigeria despite the current security challenges.
He said: "I am aware of some suggestions that the situation in Nigeria with isolated internecine conflicts and current security challenge posed by Boko Haram might qualify for the application of the principle of Responsibility to Protect.
"Our response to this is simple: surely the situation does not call for the invocation of the principle of R2P since Nigeria has not lost control on the first pillar, being the responsibility of state to protect its citizens.
"While current situation and the wanton loss of lives are deeply regrettable, the situation is not of the scale envisaged by the World Summit on R2P. Even on the second pillar, Nigeria has sought and is receiving the assistance of the international community, both at bilateral and multilateral levels, including the United Nations."
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