A Nigerian rights group has urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate violence between Muslims and Christians² in the city of Jos.

一个尼日利亚人权组织呼吁国际刑事法庭介入调查乔斯城穆斯林与基督教徒之间的暴力冲突。

mosques³ and churches were targeted during the violence" width="226" height="170" src="/upimg/100202/4_063305_1.jpg" />
Both mosques and churches were targeted during the violence

The group, known as Serap, wrote to ICC chief prosecutor⁴ Luis Moreno-Ocampo asking him to open an inquiry调查 into the deaths of 326 people in the riots暴动，骚乱.

The activists⁶ also want the army and police investigated over claims they used excessive过分的，过多的 force to restore order.

Muslims and Christians fought with each other for several days in January.

The official death toll死亡人数 was given by police as 326 - although other estimates are much higher, with Muslim officials saying that 364 Muslims were killed.

Christian¹ leaders have not yet confirmed a death toll⁷ - although earlier estimates said around 65 Christians had died.

More than 300 people have been arrested.

'Too weak'

Lawyer Femi Falana wrote the letter to Mr Moreno-Ocampo, arguing that the ICC should step in because the government was unlikely to take action采取行动.

"Those who are suspected to be responsible for the latest violence and previous outbreaks of deadly violence in Jos have not been arrested let alone更不用说 brought to justice," Mr Falana's letter stated.

"The government has shown itself to be too weak to act, contrary to its international legal obligations, including under the Rome Statute⁸ of the International Criminal Court."

Hundreds of people were killed in similar outbreaks发作，爆发 of violence in Jos in both 2008 and 2001.

Meanwhile, the violence has soured使失望，使变酸 relations between Plateau state, where Jos is located, and neighbouring Bauchi state.

Some MPs in the Bauchi legislature want all people from Plateau state to be sent back home.

Bauchi is mainly Muslim, while Plateau高原 has a Christian majority.

The Bauchi MPs argue that the violence shows Plateau indigenes土著居民 do not respect a Nigerian's constitutional right to live and work in anywhere in the country - therefore they should not enjoy such rights in other states.

The Plateau state government has called the move "childish幼稚的" and "unfortunate".

Violence erupted in Jos on 17 January and rapidly spread to nearby villages.

Several thousand people remain displaced, having abandoned their homes to escape the violence.

Jos, the capital of Plateau state, lies between Nigeria's mainly Muslim north and predominantly Christian south and has seen sectarian riots in the recent past.

But analysts⁹ say the real cause of the violence is a struggle for political superiority优越，优势 in the city.