For Immediate Release
October 25, 2020
Statement of the Pan African Congress, North American Delegation Concerning the killing of #EndSARs Protesters in Nigeria
The Pan African Congress, North American Delegation strongly condemns the killing of peaceful protesters mobilized against police brutality and bad governance in Nigeria. Young people recently took to the streets in Nigeria under the banner of #EndSARS to protest against police brutality, specifically the Nigerian Police unit called Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). These youths applied one of the well-known tools of the African people’s resistance against economic and political oppression, militarism, state-sponsored brutality and domination. These are the same tools used historically in the struggle against colonial subjugation, imperialism, apartheid, and military dictatorships across the continent.
Instead of addressing the youths’ demands, the Nigerian authorities deployed the same state security apparatus that the people were protesting against in the first place and used excessive force that has resulted in the loss of lives.
We wish to express our condolences to the families of the deceased and the individuals that have sustained all forms of injuries. Pan Africanists, peace and social justice forces everywhere must continue to be in solidarity with the Nigerian people in their demand for full accountability, healing and repair, and in their quest for an end to brutality and oppression from state security services.
Relevant organs of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union (AU), and the United Nations must ensure that government officials responsible for the killing of protesters are held accountable.
The Pan African Congress, North American Delegation supports the Nigerian youth’s demands to end police brutality and SARS, embark on reforms in governance, healthcare, education, and implement constitutional and structural reforms. These are valid demands that would strengthen the struggles for genuine democratic participation and expression in Nigeria, and we urge the government to engage the youth on these demands in good faith.
We wish to remind the Nigerian authorities that when we assert that Black lives matter, we indeed mean that Black lives matter in Nigeria and across Africa as well. As the most populous Black country in the world, Nigerian authorities must do more to make the country a model for the protection of Black lives.
