As violence escalates in Nigeria, Christian and Muslim leaders unite

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(RNS) — As killings and mass kidnappings intensify across Nigeria, Christian and Muslim leaders are building formal partnerships aimed at preventing the country’s security crisis from deepening religious divisions.

In August, Christian and Muslim leaders meeting in Abuja agreed to establish a coordinating group to develop community programs to counter hate speech and religious intolerance. They also signed agreements committing themselves to cooperation on conflict prevention and social harmony.

The initiatives come as Nigeria confronts another surge of violence affecting communities across religious lines. In one of the country’s largest recent mass abductions , an estimated 600 mostly Muslim Nigerians were kidnapped from around Dekera village in north-central Niger State in August, including worshippers targeted during Friday prayers. Thirty people were reported killed, and at least 2,000 residents fled across the border into neighboring Benin. Days later, Nigeria’s Catholic bishops issued a statement expressing solidarity with the Muslim victims.

“We stand in firm solidarity with our…