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WASHINGTON - US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Monday urged all the parties in Nigeria to show restraint in response to the killings of some 500 people in the recent sectarian violence.
"We continue to urge all parties to exercise restraint ... The Nigerian government should ensure that the perpetrators of acts of violence are brought to justice under the rule of law and that human rights are respected as order is restored," said Clinton at a joint press conference with Gabon President Ali Bongo.
At least 500 Christians, mostly women and children, were reportedly killed in a communal violence that erupted on Sunday in Jos, the capital of northern Nigeria's Plateau State.
The violence came after more than 300 people were killed during a crisis that erupted on January 17 in the city, when some youths attacked worshippers at St. Michael's Anglican Church in Nasawara Gwom.