Nigeria's defense chief on Tuesday expressed frustration at what he called the "double standards" of some countries refusing to sell him military weapons because of their human rights concerns.
Gen. Christopher Musa 's comment underscores one of the biggest challenges facing Africa's most populous country in its fight against a deadly and complex security crisis, ranging from the Islamist militant insurgency in the country's northeast to dozens of armed groups targeting travelers and communities in the northwest and central regions.
"Even with our money, it is difficult to get equipment ," Musa told reporters in Nigeria 's capital Abuja , acknowledging a huge need for helicopters, drones and Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles.
"Some talk about human rights, others say 'you killed' but sometimes those who point the finger at you have done worse and no one holds them to account. It's these double standards measures that make the world more dangerous ,” Mr Musa said.
Asked by the Associated Press, he refused to name the countries in question.
For many years, Nigeria's security forces have been the subject of allegations of extrajudicial killings and illegal arrests. The United States and other major arms suppliers have at one time or another suspended arms sales because of these accusations.
In December, at least 85 civilians were killed when a Nigerian army drone targeted a religious gathering in northwestern Kaduna state .
Mr Musa said the Nigerian military had continued to improve its human rights record and was holding its personnel to account. Allegations of abuse are often investigated, and a report on the December incident will be released soon, he said.
“The Nigerian armed forces have the capacity to secure Nigeria (and) the entire region ,” Musa said, adding that the lack of necessary weapons will continue to limit this capacity.
According to Isa Sanusi, director of Amnesty International in Nigeria, there is little evidence that the Nigerian military has improved its human rights record. “The protection of civilians should be their priority (and) they should examine all the human rights violations they have committed to ensure they are held accountable ,” Mr Sanusi said.
U.S. military support for Nigeria has at times included training on how to reduce risks to civilians, according to a January State Department statement on security cooperation. In August, Nigeria made the first payment for 12 attack helicopters worth a total of $997 million.
It killed many civilians. Secret Egyptian documents reveal Israel’s crimes in the 1973 war
Rare secret documents recently released by Egypt about the October 1973 War shed light on Israeli crimes and violations of UN Security Council resolutions, targeting a large number of civilians who were killed and wounded in several governorates.
Secret documents related to the October 6, 1973 war, recently published by the Egyptian Ministry of Defense, revealed Israeli crimes that killed and injured a large number of civilians, demolished homes and damaged roads in several governorates.
The Ministry explained, according to the documents, that after the 16th day of the start of the war, Security Council Resolution No. 338 was issued to stop all military actions starting from October 22, 1973, which Egypt accepted and implemented, but Israel violated it as usual, which led to the issuance of another resolution on October 24. October was committed by Israel as of the 28th of the same month.
Israel was then forced to enter into military discussions to separate the forces in October and November 1973, which were the 101st kilometer talks in which a ceasefire was agreed upon and international emergency forces took over monitoring. Then the exchange of prisoners and wounded began, according to the documents.
Under the title: “Important Reports,” a document showed item No. 538/20051 dated December 1, 1973, referring to a report regarding Israeli attacks on civilians and non-military targets.
The Ministry also published 13 documents, one of which was entitled: “A statement of Israeli attacks on civilians and non-military targets that constitute a violation of the provisions of the international agreement.”
The statement monitored “enemy” attacks on various governorates of Egypt between October 6 and November 6, 1973, which included raids, launching missiles, fire, and demolishing homes in governorates including Dakahlia, Beheira, Kafr El-Sheikh, Damietta, and Qalyubia (north), and Ismailia, Suez, and Port Said (east).
According to the documents, the attacks resulted in the death and injury of large numbers of citizens, the destruction of dozens of homes, damage to public roads, damage to the communications network, and the outbreak of fires.
“The Safety Plan” was the title of the strategic and tactical deception plan for the sudden Egyptian attack. It began before the October 6 War, and according to the documents, it aimed to “prepare for the armed forces to carry out close offensive operations, with a focus on misleading the enemy.”
Among the documents was the report of the head of the Egyptian Army’s Operations Authority at the time, Major General Mohamed Abdel-Ghani El-Gamasy, who delivered his summary before the National Security Committee in Egypt during a secret session.
Al-Jamsi said, in the 24-page report, that Egypt began a war of attrition against Israel on September 28, 1968 and stopped on August 7, 1970, and aimed to “inflict the greatest amount of losses on the enemy’s ranks,” in parallel with the preparations for war.
On February 17, the Egyptian Ministry of Defense lifted the confidentiality restrictions on these military documents, 50 years after a surprise attack launched by Egypt and Syria against Israel to recover lands it occupied in the 1967 war.
Analysts highlighted the publication of the documents at a time when tensions are escalating between Cairo and Tel Aviv over the Sinai Peninsula, which Egypt liberated during the 1973 war, in the wake of a devastating war launched by Israel on the neighboring Gaza Strip since last October 7.
The number of Egyptian documents exceeds 200, and they include military correspondence revealing Israeli “crimes,” handwritten memoirs by commanders, reports, maps, details of the famous “Battle of the Bulge,” and the strategic deception plan in the war entitled: “The Safety Plan.”