Nigeria: Dozens Dead in Church Bombing

Abuja---At least 36 people have died in deadly blasts that hit three churches in the northern Nigerian State of Kaduna, and subsequent reprisals that ensued after, worsening the religious tension between the divided Christians and Muslims in the country.

Over 21 people attending church service on Sunday were killed and dozens others injured in three separate suicide bomb attacks. Two blasts struck in the city of Zaria, while another in the state capital city of Kaduna making it a third Sunday in a row that deadly attacks targeting Christian churches have been carried out in northern Nigeria.

Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency said two of the blasts happened in the Wusasa and Sabon-Gari districts of Zaria, which officials reported 16 people had died and several others injured in the weekend attack.

Following the blasts, angry mobs of Christian youths took to the streets in retaliatory riots against Muslims, barricading roads in towns of Trijania, Gonin, Gora and Sabon Tasha, south of Kaduna, attacking motorists who looked Muslim.

Red Cross officials told the AFP news agency more than 20 bodies have been recovered after the rioting, most burned beyond recognition. The state authorities have imposed a 24-hour curfew as police and military have cordoned off the areas.

No one has claimed responsibility for the latest attacks but suspicion has fell on the radical Islamist sect of Boko Haram which has since claimed responsibility of the earlier two weekend attacks.

In last weekend’s assault claimed by the group, a suicide car bomber detonated explosives outside a church in Jos city in central Nigeria, as gunmen attacked another church in the north eastern city of Biu, killing at least six people and wounded several others.

Boko Haram is fighting to instill Islamic laws in Nigeria which is divided between a predominantly Muslim north and Predominantly Christian and animists south. Analysts have termed its increasing waging of bloody attacks on mainly Christians besides security agencies and the public as intended to attract reprisal attacks from Christians with aimed to draw an all-out war between the two side.

The Vatican has condemned the systematic attacks on Christian churches in Nigeria calling it an “absurd design of hatred.”

The “systematicness” of the attacks against Christian places of worship on a Sunday is “horrible and inacceptable” and reflects “an absurd design of hatred.” Said Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi, in a statement.

Tripoli, Libya

Troops Deployed to Quell Clashes in Western Libya

The Libyan government has deployed troops to the western part of the country, declaring a military zone, aimed at ending week long clashes between two armed rival militia groups in the region.

The interim authorities on Saturday called on the rival groups in the mountainous towns of Zintan, Mizdah and Shegayga, 150 km south of the capital, Tripoli, to immediately cease fighting in the violence that has claimed at least 16 lives and left others injured.

Security officials say former revolutionary fighters from Zintan town who were instrumental in ending the former regime of ruler Muammar Gaddafi, have been clashing since last Monday with members of the al-Mashashia tribe, who chose not to join the rebellion.

Fighting between the two groups erupted earlier last week after the Zintan fighters attacked the al-Mashashia tribe in retaliation of a killing of one of their fighters.

While reading out a statement to reporters, one of Libya’s three deputy prime ministers Haramain Mohammed Haramain said the ruling National Transitional Council (NTC) and religious leaders were calling an immediate halt of hostilities, declaring the area a military zone.

He said the government had issued instructions to interior ministry and military officials to use force if the ceasefire was not respected.

Heavy fighting continued on Saturday even after the ceasefire command was issued resulting in many casualties.

"The injured are being taken to hospitals in the area as well as Tripoli; there are so many," army’s colonel Hamed Zwei told Reuters news agency. “The army is going there now to impose a ceasefire and protect civilians."

The regular armed violence often pitting villages, cities or tribes against their neighbours has raised concerns over theability of the interim government to control the armed groups months after deposing the repressive Gaddafi regime eight months ago.

Mostly armed militia groups which took part in the revolution have since fought each other in heavy battles over control of territories or handling of cases of those who supported Col Gaddafi during the uprising.

There are fears that violence in the country may jeopardise the July 7 vote for the national assembly. Most groups which took part in the revolution still remain heavily armed though the government disarmament programme and integration of former fighters into national army continues to be faced with challenges over arrangements.