Football unites sectarian turmoil in Nigeria
For years, the city of Jos in central Nigeria has been the epicenter of an ethnic conflict between young Christians and Muslims in rival neighbourhoods.
But leaders from both communities have turned to football and music as a way to overcome division as part of a program to build trust between the two sides and restore peace.
The neighbor turned against the neighbor, while the Muslims did not dare to enter the Christian areas, and the Christians moved away from the neighborhoods controlled by the Muslims.
In order to promote mediation and team spirit, Salis Mohamed Abdel Salam and his community group moved from neighborhood to neighborhood to recruit young footballers from 20 communities.
This initiative, which includes teams bearing names including "Love FC" and "United FC", has contributed to the reunification of Jos, the capital of Central Bilt State.
This past weekend, Patience FC and Forgiveness FC met for the final at Roang Pam Township in Jos, a symbol of coexisting communities.
"These young men have now turned into advocates of peace and unity," Abdeslam said.
"Every day they train together and play matches together, we promote unity, build team spirit, challenge competitions. We reduce mistrust between them."
- “Music and Football” - Two players, one Muslim and the other Christian, stood shoulder to shoulder with the ball balanced between them in a symbol of unity.
Before matches kick off, local DJs play music and bands perform in local languages as a way to attract young people to the events.
A banner hung on the side of the stadium read "Music + Football = Peace. Reunite the feuding neighbours."
For Amaeshi Johnson, a Christian player for Patience FC, the initiative has paid off.
He can now enter Muslim areas and is welcome.
"You can enter most of the places you couldn't before, and that's the peace and unity we're talking about," he said.
The ancient city of Jos, once a tourist haven due to its cooler climate than the rest of Nigeria, lies on the dividing line between the Christian-majority south of Nigeria and the mainly Muslim north.
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