“There is no justification for the carnage taking place in Gaza…The proportionality of force is being inflicted on innocent civilians with complete disregard.This carnage is completely out of control. , totally unacceptable. There is no way to explain the double standards. It has to stop,” Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Yusuf Tugar said in March in response to Israel’s continued shelling of the Gaza Strip.
In a speech to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September, Nigeria’s Vice President Kassim Shettima similarly criticized Israel, warning: . The Palestinian people deserve independence. ”
The Nigerian government has consistently condemned Israel’s military occupation of Palestine, and has been particularly vocal against Israel since October 7. Historically, Nigeria has been a strong supporter of the Palestinian liberation struggle, and Nigeria has been at the center of efforts to ensure the end of Israel’s military occupation of Palestine. Observer status in the African Union (AU). According to an official who attended the AU Council meeting attended by African foreign ministers held in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, in October 2021, then-Nigerian Foreign Minister Jeffrey Onyema took the lead on Israel’s It said it opposed the recognition and urged other member states to do so. same.
The Nigerian government strongly condemns Israel’s military onslaught against Gaza, while at the same time fueling Israel’s war machine, which has already killed more than 40,000 Palestinians through direct violence and bombing as of this writing. has been criticized as
Behind the barrel: Nigeria’s crude fueled genocide?
According to a recently released report titled “Behind the Barrel: New Insights into the Countries and Companies Behind Israel’s Fuel Supply,” Israel Nigeria accounts for 9% of the total crude oil supplied to India. Researchers analyzed satellite images, ship positions, transportation records, commodity trade flows, information from port authorities, and financial and media reports to identify 65 oil and fuel shipments to Israel over the same period. I tracked it down.
More than 133 kilotons of Nigerian crude oil was delivered to Israel by Chevron, Eni, Exxon, Shell and Total Energies. Gabon’s crude oil accounted for 22%, and the Republic of Congo supplied 6%, but Nigeria’s contribution has raised eyebrows given the country’s vocal criticism of Israel.
According to the United Nations Palestine Global Energy Embargo, which calls for a complete energy embargo on Israel, these oil supplies will allow Israel to continue shelling Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and maintain Israel’s 76-year occupation of Palestine. It is said that they were able to increase the strength of the army.
“The horrifying reality of genocide and occupation that Palestinians face every day is made possible by the money, arms and energy shipped to Israel from countries around the world, including Nigeria. We are aware that we have already sided with the Palestinians in international forums. We now call on Nigeria to immediately ban oil exports to Israel,” he said, requesting anonymity for security reasons. said a representative of the coalition. Trade unions, civil society organizations and solidarity movements have also mobilized to support the embargo.
Is the Nigerian government complicit in genocide?
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in January that South Africa’s claims that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are “plausible”.
Irene Pietropaoli, senior fellow in business and human rights at the UK Institute of International and Comparative Law, said governments and businesses need to be wary of complicit in Israel’s violations of international humanitarian law, particularly the ICJ’s orders on trade. states. Partnerships with Israel by third countries and companies located in third countries.
“Weapons, weapons, ammunition, vehicles, technology and other military materiel, including fuel, are essential to the operations of the Israeli air force, ground forces and navy, and make an essential contribution to the violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza.” and acts of genocide against the Palestinian people. Third States must consider that military or other support for Israeli military operations in Gaza may put them at risk of complicity in genocide under the Genocide Convention. “Companies and their managers, directors and other leaders can also be held directly responsible for committing acts of genocide, as well as war crimes and crimes against humanity,” Pietropaoli warns.
Israel relies heavily on imports of crude oil and refined oil to carry out operations and a large fleet of fighter jets, tanks and other military vehicles. Crude oil is converted into gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel at Israeli refineries.
An Eni spokesperson denied accusations that its products were used for military purposes. Chevron spokeswoman Laura Hurst said the company “operates in accordance with all applicable laws.” Exxon, Shell and Total Energies did not respond to requests for comment, nor did the Nigerian government or Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade, crude oil exports from Nigeria to Israel totaled US$551.51 million last year.
Khalid Arawaode of the Nigeria-Palestinian Solidarity Movement (NiPaSom) said the Nigerian government had a “lazy attitude towards the genocide”.
Renowned analyst and commentator Azubuike Ekwene echoed similar sentiments. “Over the years, Nigeria has cooled from being a radical supporter of liberation struggles on the continent and elsewhere to a somewhat closed-minded patron.”
Nigeria’s “precarious situation, with a roughly 50-50 split between Muslims and Christians, means that the Nigerian government is walking on eggshells on the issue of Israel and Palestine, which may anger the Muslim-majority north.” , cautious not to spark deadly pro-Palestinian sectarian protests. It also addresses the sentiments of southern Christians, especially the growing evangelical population that considers itself part of New Testament Israel. We are also careful not to cause any harm,” explains Ekwene, who is also editor-in-chief of Leadership Media Group.
Alawode said Nigeria’s Palestine Solidarity Group will work with all sectors of Nigerian society to “thwart all measures of complicity by our country,” adding that Bola Tinubu’s government will follow the example of Colombian President Gustavo Petro and commit mass He said he wants energy exports to Israel to be halted until a genocide occurs. Gaza will end.
The World Energy Embargo on Palestine says its call was inspired by the anti-apartheid movement’s global call for oil sanctions against South Africa’s apartheid regime, made at the 1960 African Conference of Independent States. The oil embargo subsequently became an important tool in Palestine. South Africa’s struggle against apartheid. As in apartheid South Africa, oil is also Israel’s Achilles heel, as it imports a significant amount of an important commodity.
In September, Nigeria joined 123 other countries in supporting a UN resolution calling for an end to Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory within one year and the imposition of sanctions for violations.
Nigeria’s diplomatic and rhetorical support has been significant and is deeply appreciated by the Palestinians. But does this absolve Nigeria of its direct complicity in literally instigating Israel’s genocide of Palestinians?
Suraya Dadoo is a writer based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Find her on X: @Suraya_Dadoo
