International Campaigns: Nigeria - Human Rights

The military dictatorship of Nigeria has plunged a once proud nation into a frightening state of national crisis. No function of democratically elected government survives anywhere in this country of 100 million people. Despite oil revenues totalling $210 billion over the last 25 years, Nigeria's treasury has been siphoned empty by the ruling generals who have diverted billions in public funds to their personal accounts abroad. All dissent has been brutally suppressed. Thousands have been either killed outright, jailed or executed without due process of law. On November 10, 1995, Ken Saro-Wiwa, a globally respected Nigerian human and environmental rights campaigner was convicted on perjured testimony before an illegitimate panel, and summarily executed.

Mr. Saro-Wiwa's execution provoked a global outcry of condemnation led by South African President Nelson Mandela and joined in by the United States. The condemnation however was largely empty of any action that Nigeria's ruling generals would respect. Put simply, absent the imposition of economic sanctions, including, among other measures, an oil embargo, a freeze of the generals' assets abroad and a prohibition of any new investment, Nigeria will not be turned from its course of self-destruction.

Over the past decade, more than 25 African countries have implemented democratic and economic reforms. For the first time in 35 years all of southern Africa is at peace and embracing democratic ideals. Much of this great progress is threatened by the meancing portent of military dictatorship in Nigeria, sub-Saharan Africa's most populous country. If Nigeria disintegrates into civil war, the conflict will likely draw into its vortex much of west Africa with significant consequences for the rest of Africa.

Disaster can be averted if the United States takes appropriate action now. The steps you have taken thus far are of limited usefulness. Ninety-five percent of the Nigerian military dictatorship's export income is produced from the sale of oil, almost half of which the United States purchases. Oil income is the generals' sole incentive for clinging to power. Only when that $10 billion a year revenue stream is breached will they consider allowing the restoration of democracy.

In a recent conversation, President Mandela urged you to lead by imposing American economic sanctions and inviting our allies to follow suit. President Mandela speaks for much of Africa in this regard. His views represent ours as well.

Maya Angelou Author	Bill Campbell Mayor, Atlanta, Georgia
Mary Frances Berry Chairperson, U.S. Civil Rights Commission	Eva Clayton Member of Congress
Sandford Bishop Member of Congress	Johnnetta Cole President, Spelman College
Corrine Brown Member of Congress	Barbara-Rose Collins Member of Congress
Cardiss Collins Member of Congress	Jesse Jackson President, National Rainbow Coalition
John Conyers Member of Congress	Sheila Jackson-Lee Member of Congress
Bill Cosby	Camille Cosby
Quincy Jones Professor and Musician	Coretta Scott King King Center
Ronald Dellums Member of Congress	Ed Lewis Publisher and CEO, Essence Magazine
Julian Dixon Member of Congress	David N. Dinkins Former Mayor, New York City
John Lewis Member of Congress	Chaka Fattah Member of Congress
Joseph Lowery President, Southern Christian Leadership Conference	Floyd Flake Member of Congress
William Lucy President, Coalition of Black Trade Unionists	John Hope Franklin Author and Historian
Gay McDougall Executive Director, International Human Rights Law Group	Danny Glover Actor
Cynthia McKinney Member of Congress	Earl Graves Publisher, Black Enterprise Magazine
Carrie Meek Member of Congress	Kweisi Mfume Member of Congress
Donna Brown Guillaume Television Producer	Robert Guillaume Actor
Major Owens Member of Congress	Alcee Hastings Member of Congress
Donald Payne Chairman, Congressional Black Caucus	A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr. Professor, Harvard University Kennedy School of Government
Hugh Price President, National Urban League	Earl Hilliard Member of Congress
Charles Ragel Member of Congress	Eleanor Holmes-Norton Member of Congress
Norman B. Rice Mayor, Seattle, Washington	Randall Robinson President, TransAfrica, Inc.
Bobby Rush Member of Congress	Robert Scott Member of Congress
Louis Stokes Member of Congress	Edolphus Towns Member of Congress
Robert Townsend Filmmaker	Maxine Waters Member of Congress
Melvin Watt Member of Congress	Roger Wilkins Chairman, Board of Trustees African American Institute
Wellington Webb Mayor, Denver, Colorado	Albert Russell Wynn Member of Congress