US embassy cable - 01ABUJA2258

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 002258 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PINS, CVIS, NI 
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: RIOTS IN JOS ABATE 
 
 
REF: A) ABUJA 2255 
 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PROTECT ACCORDINGLY 
 
 
1. (U) SUMMARY:  While rioting in Jos continued into a second 
straight day (Saturday), by mid-morning on Sunday,  9 
September, AmCits and GON officials were reporting that order 
had been restored.  A 1600 to 0700 curfew governs daily life 
until further notice, however.  Embassy received word that 
the military forces were doing a conscientious job of 
confiscating illicit weapons, restoring order and protecting 
American lives and property.  The number of Nigerians injured 
or killed at this time is unclear.  At this time, wardens are 
re-assessing earlier AmCit requests for evacuation 
assistance.  END SUMMARY. 
 
 
============================= 
SATURDAY - CONFLICT CONTINUED 
============================= 
 
 
2.  (SBU) PolOff 8 September received calls from Terry 
Hammack, a missionary with the Society of International 
Missionaries in Jos, Plateau State, at 0700 and 1100. 
According to Hammack, who said he had traveled about the city 
on his motorcycle, a pall of smoke from riot fires was 
shrouding the city.  Fires had continued through the night, 
and sounds of gunfire had resumed during the morning.  Some 
injured Nigerians had begun arriving at the missionary 
hospital at his compound (Hammack was unable to indicate the 
number of injured).  According to Hammack, Jos was "closing 
down."  Meanwhile, Post began to hear second-hand that some 
AmCits resident in Jos wanted to leave. 
 
 
3. (SBU) PolOff also spoke with Webe Boer, an Amcit and 
former OTI employee at 1300.  Boer had heard that the curfew 
was round-the-clock.  He believed the rioting had begun 
around the Kongo Mosque (vice the Central Mosque).  Boer 
stated he had witnessed Christian vigilante groups entering 
and destroying Muslim houses in the Government Reserved Area 
(GRA) where he and Hammack live.  Boer said he had heard word 
that people were also coming into Jos from surrounding 
villages to join the rioting.  According to Boer, this type 
of conflict "had been brewing for about a year."  He stated 
that he believed the prevalent attitude was that, after the 
burning of churches the previous day, "Christians were 
reminding Muslims that Jos is a Christian city."  Boer noted 
that a nearby house belonging to the (Muslim) Governor of 
Bauchi State had been burned. 
 
 
4.  (SBU) Boer stated that he believed AmCits in Jos were 
safe, and that he had not heard of any attacks against 
missionary compounds.  However, he feared a possible wave of 
reprisals against Christians from the Muslim community.  Boer 
had not seen evidence of a police or military presence, but 
he had heard both forces were active in the city.  Boer was 
hopeful that an impending rainstorm would quench the violence. 
 
 
5.  (SBU) Post One in Lagos notified Abuja Duty Officer at 
1400 of a call from an Italian nun regarding the welfare of 
two American nuns.  Duty Officer made contact with the 
American nuns, Sister Barbara and Sister Rice, who reported 
that a Mosque next to their compound (1 Utan Lane) had been 
burned to the ground.  The Italian nun had believed their 
compound had been destroyed, but this was apparently 
incorrect.  The American nuns reported that they were safe. 
 
 
====================== 
SUNDAY - CALM RESTORED 
====================== 
 
 
6.  (SBU) PolOff spoke with Hammack again on 9 September. 
Hammack reported that by 1000 on 9 September, things had 
"quieted down."  Hammack said the police and military had 
taken over the streets.  He had reports that the area worst 
hit during the rioting was Bukaru, 15 kilometers south of 
Jos.  Hammack said that Bukaru had proportionally fewer 
Muslims than Jos, and therefore, the Muslims had less 
protection.  He had heard that "people had been slaughtered 
in the streets."  The Embassy has not been able to confirm 
this report. 
 
 
7.  (SBU) PolOff spoke with Boer again on 9 September.  Boer 
stated he had been moving about the city with soldiers from 
the 3rd Armored Division.  Boer stated that the soldiers were 
conscientiously checking vehicles and anyone looking 
suspicious, and had been confiscating weapons.  He said the 
soldiers were being cheered everywhere they went, and said 
they had been doing "a very good job, including protecting 
Americans."  Boer urged PolOff to pass this praise on to the 
General Officer, Commanding of the 3rd Armored Division.  He 
also reported that he had heard from the other two American 
Fulbright scholars living at the University of Jos that they 
were safe. 
============== 
AMCIT WELFARE 
============== 
 
 
8.  (U) Post had received reports early Sunday afternoon that 
up to 50 AmCits residing in Jos and the surrounding area 
might wish to be evacuated to Abuja.  Post sent the following 
message on the warden network and followed up with telephone 
calls: 
 
 
"There are Americans in Abuja who would welcome fellow 
citizens into their homes for a few days in Americans living 
in and around Jos would like to leave the area briefly. 
Please convey through the Warden Network numbers of 
individuals or families who might wish to accept this offer." 
9.  (U) By early Sunday evening, with curfew in effect and a 
heavy police and military presence on Jos streets, our AmCit 
contacts were reporting the city quiet and were no longer 
seeking immediate evacuation assistance.  We will stay in 
touch with them through the night, as necessary.  If 
required, Post can mobilize sufficient vehicles to evacuate 
50 persons.  The Nigerian Police have offered to support an 
evacuation effort, should we undertake one. 
 
 
10.  (U) Amcits in the Jos area report that ISPs serving the 
Jos community are either very slow or inaccessible.  If U.S. 
relatives of Jos-based Amcits report being unable to reach 
family members by email, the Department may wish to pass 
along this information.  Basic telephone service is still 
working in much of the city. 
 
 
==================== 
CONTACT INFORMATION 
==================== 
 
 
11.  (U) There is no full-time consular officer assigned to 
Post.  Lagos-based American Citizens Services Officer Sherry 
Sykes arrived in Abuja Sunday afternoon and will stay in the 
capital for at least two days, after which time the need for 
her presence will be reassessed.  She can be reached at the 
residence of Wayne Hemmings and Denise Rollins 
(234-9-413-5740).  Mr. Hemmings is Embassy Duty Officer until 
OOB on September 12, and he is carrying the Duty Officer 
mobile phone (234-90-802-237).  The Mission Guard Force can 
be reached on 234-9-523-0916, -0960, -5857 or -2235 and can 
reach Embassy Officers by radio. 
Andrews