By Jennifer M. Haralambides
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

JOS, Nigeria – Renewed violence between Christians and Muslims leaves hundreds of women and children dead in the streets.

The attack occurred around  3 a.m. in the Village of Dogo Nahawa, just south of Jos.  Villagers reported that men from the surrounding hills raided their village and started shooting into the air, then slashed those who came out of their homes with machetes.

“A senior police chief said the perpetrators of this attack came in from Bauchi state.  [He said] the fighting exploded between herdsmen from Bauchi and villagers,” said Yvonne Nedge, Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Abuja.

There is conflicting information about how many have been killed.  Some are reporting only eight casualties, and others report hundreds.

At this time, it is not absolutely clear exactly what triggered the violence.  Some reports describe the incident as an act of religious violence.  Jos lies at the crossroads of Nigeria’s Muslim north and predominantly Christian south.

In the years prior to this attack, Jos has had four major violent incidents between Muslims and Christians.  January marks the most recent incident that lead to the death of over 325 people.

This unrest comes at a bad time for Nigeria.  The acting president Goodluck Jonathan has been struggling to rule while Umaru Yar’Adua, the countries leader, recovers from a heart condition.   On going conflicts surrounding the oil rich region have also sparked repeated violence over the past decade.

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera – Scores Killed in Nigeria Clashes – 7 March 2010

AP – Reporter:  More than 200 Dead in Nigeria Violence – 7 March 2010

AP – Scores Killed in Nigeria Violence – 7 March 2010

Reuters – Clashes Kill More than 100 in Central Nigeria – 7 March 2010

VOA – At Least 109 Dead in Central Nigeria Violence – 7 March 2010