Nigeria: à Abuja, des chiites manifestent en soutien à l’Iran
Nearly 200 supporters of a pro-Iranian Shiite group gathered Friday in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, brandishing images of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed on the first day of the Middle East war, and chanting "Shame on America" despite a heavy security presence.
Members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) gathered in the early afternoon in front of the national mosque in Abuja, chanting anti-Israeli and anti-American slogans, an AFP journalist on the scene observed, on the 14th day of the two countries' bombing campaign against Iran.
"Shame on America, shame on Israel," the protesters repeatedly chanted as police officers gathered around the mosque.
The crowd, which appeared to have caught security forces off guard by gathering inside the mosque compound, dispersed after about fifteen minutes.
The IMN, which organized the demonstration, advocates for an Iranian-style Islamic revolution in Nigeria and is in conflict with the Nigerian government, which has repeatedly repressed it. Shiites themselves constitute a minority among Muslims in Nigeria.
Last week, the US embassy closed "due to the potential risk" of protests, as the IMN attempted to organize rallies that were prevented by law enforcement.
The movement had already led demonstrations in the streets of major cities in northern Nigeria, which is predominantly Muslim, on March 1st.
On Friday morning, traffic was heavily disrupted on the roads leading to Abuja, with checkpoints and a larger than usual security presence slowing traffic.
Last year, 11 protesters and a soldier were killed in clashes during an IMN demonstration, according to a security report seen by AFP.
However, authorities, protesters and human rights organizations disagree on the origin of the violence.
bur-nro/ks/jmo
© Agence France-Presse
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