The
2010 Jos riots were clashes between
Muslim and
Christian ethnic groups in central
Nigeria in and near the city of
Jos. Jos is the capital of
Plateau State, in the middle of the divide between the predominantly Muslim north of Nigeria and the predominantly Christian south. Since 2001, the area has been plagued by violence motivated by multiple factors. The clashes have been characterised as "
religious violence" by many news sources, although others cite ethnic and economic differences as the root of the violence.