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Nigeria’s main Shiite Muslim sect criticized the US attack on Iranian nuclear sites and Israel’s continued attacks on targets in the country.
The Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) staged a protest march on Friday in Kano, the commercial hub of northern Nigeria, on Friday in support of Iran. Hundreds of protesters attended the event chanting slogans and songs in English and the Hausa language spoken widely in northern Nigeria.
Prominent members of the group, speaking to Semafor on Sunday, were critical of the strikes involving the US. “The attack was illegal and an act of aggression on an independent country” said Dauda Nalado, a leading figure within IMN. “We stand with Iran.”
Saminu Muhammad, another prominent IMN figure, said the US “made a mistake by attacking somebody who can retaliate.”
The group remains a minority in Nigeria, where the majority of the Muslim population is Sunni.
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Support for Iran is limited across the continent. South Africa, which has frequently criticized Israel’s military operations in Gaza, called for dialogue to end the strikes. In a statement, the country’s presidency said: “South Africa calls on the United States, Israel, and Iran to give the United Nations the opportunity and space to lead on the peaceful resolution of the matters of dispute, including the inspection and verification of Iran’s status of uranium enrichment, as well as its broader nuclear capacity.”
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The escalating conflict between Israel and Iran has pushed up oil prices, prompting fears that the impact will be felt by economies across Africa.
Oil prices have risen following Israel’s strikes on Iranian targets and retaliatory attacks by Tehran amid concerns that a broader regional conflict could disrupt oil exports from the Middle East.
A number of African governments have scrapped fuel subsidies in the last few years, following pressure from the International Monetary Fund, which means petrol price fluctuations will be felt more sharply.
Notable
- Aside from possible price rises, the impact of the conflict is likely to have only a “limited” impact on Africa due to the limited ties Iran and Israel have with the continent’s nations, researcher Benjamin Augé told RFI.