ABUJA — Nigeria's military burned down villages and forcibly displaced hundreds of people in its fight against Islamist insurgents in the country's northeast, rights group Amnesty International alleged on Friday. Nigeria's military, which has frequently been accused of human rights abuses in its decade-long fight against Boko Haram and more recently Islamic State's West African branch, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Previous allegations have sparked investigations by the International Criminal Court in the Hague and hampered Nigeria's ability to purchase arms, a source of frustration for its military's leaders. However, convictions of soldiers have been rare and the military has repeatedly denied wrongdoing. In the latest allegations, Amnesty said Nigerian soldiers razed three villages after forcing hundreds of men and women to leave their homes in the northeastern state of Borno in January.

Source: International New York Times February 14, 2020 00:22 UTC