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Added: Wednesday, 22 July, 2009, 17:29 GMT 18:29 UK

If amnesty is given as a compromised among opposing factions where in it is stipulated that the opposing parties will generally abide by certain terms and conditions, promising not to ever result to the same actions, that amnesty is a necessity. But a blanket amnisty for people who mercilessly and unscripulously murdered people in a civil conflict, as in my own country, Liberia, would be perpetuating a culture of impunity. When will there be a disincentive to would be warlords and deviants?

Raymond Ogunti, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Added: Wednesday, 22 July, 2009, 17:28 GMT 18:28 UK

Amnesties are a look forward view of state, not wanting to spend its energy and resources on dead. No room is for feeling of survivors, as state moved away beyond liberal and human mask. Had people to whome amnesty granted been able to conquer than they would not need it.To save the rulers, avoid future turbulences, diverting resources, amnesty granted to those with whome a life or death battle was fought. It is peace between two strong forces, who do not care for weak and destined to be dead.

Akhtar Javed Usmani Khongapani..., Khongapani,Koreya, C.G., India

Added: Wednesday, 22 July, 2009, 17:14 GMT 18:14 UK

The River State in is a reservoir of black gold to make Nigeria sit proudly as the world's 5th largest oil producing nation. But, the Naira is a paper waste in exchange values. The younger people from this state need not travel up to Kanu or Kaduna in the North to find jobs. They can easily be given jobs in the oil companies there or in Warri or Port Harcourt. Of all the nations I have visited in Africa, I dare say there is no rich a country with natural wealth than Nigeria. Politics is bad.

C. Sachidananda Narayanan, From India

Added: Wednesday, 22 July, 2009, 16:50 GMT 17:50 UK

Amnesty may help to quicken the pace to peace, but in some cases, it is mis-used. It also does not deliver justice to those that may have been unjustly harmed by those accepting the offer of amnesty.
The amnesty proposed in Nigeria will most likely be hijacked by individuals seeking their selfish interests. Now that the government has provided for 10,000 militants, all the jobless youths around will become militants and accept the amnesty!

Kingsley Ezenekwe, Lagos, Nigeria

Added: Wednesday, 22 July, 2009, 16:34 GMT 17:34 UK

Militants do not deserve amnesty as it does not work in any way. People take arms in hands to fight against government are the ones who challenge government to implement their nefarious will. Pardoning militants is not a guarantee that they will never raise arms against government. Nigeria can try to work out amnesty with militants but I don’t think that it will work out for achieving long terms goals. Had amnesty worked out in Pakistan, army would not have been fighting with militants in Swat.

Syed A Mateen, Karachi, Pakistan

Added: Wednesday, 22 July, 2009, 16:30 GMT 17:30 UK

Joseph Kony has good reason to distrust amnesty programs. too often in the past, those granting amnesty have, after a time, gone back on their promise of amnesty and arrested & tried those they gave amnesty to. The result is the distrust of people like Kony. Also, in Columbia, it is only the right-wing militias that largely accepted amnesty & disarmed, leaving the communist rebel groups with one less armed group opposing them. That was counter-productive.

David Zimlin, Dunedin, Florida, United States

Added: Wednesday, 22 July, 2009, 16:27 GMT 17:27 UK

It depends on the nature and extent of the crime. If the infraction is shown to involve physical abuse attributable to a specific person of the kind normally prosecuted then it should be dealt with accordingly.

[pontiac1], Little Neck, United States

Added: Wednesday, 22 July, 2009, 16:22 GMT 17:22 UK

It can work to the extent of buying time for peace,but the insurgency returns if the' root' problem is not solved.

arun mehta, mumbai, India

Added: Wednesday, 22 July, 2009, 15:46 GMT 16:46 UK

Ok, amnesty for who and when? Amnesty over the lives of millions of perished inocent souls?My counrty has never experienced war but I watched the victims of Siera Leone civil war speak and I wept. A father says he was asked to pound his 3 months old kid in a morter untill she died while they raped and killed his wife and then cut off his hand. Will amnesty bring back his family,his hand or wipe the memories of what happened?Let the guilty be punished accordingly.Amnesty my foot!! God save us.

Mabel, Minnesota

Added: Wednesday, 22 July, 2009, 15:18 GMT 16:18 UK

The amnesty will never work,the militants MEND and others are criminals,armed robbers kilers,and i can see that they overpower the government shame to you Yaradua and your government,how can you give amnesty to who kidnap and make million naira ransomes paid in exchange,negotiate with criminals or give amnesty to criminals.the militants are doing that rubbish in the name of Niger-Delta,i can only see this as big disgrace to government.

Ade wale, Bamako Mali

Added: Wednesday, 22 July, 2009, 15:15 GMT 16:15 UK

I din't think anmesty works in the best interest of those victimised as such it must not be indorsed by any government.
This offer by the Nigerian government is a temporary stuff that can be violated at any time when the conditions agreed upon by both sides are not respected.Adopting the idea of anmesty to satisfy agrieved parties would mean promoting the culture of impunity.

Adolphus Mawolo, Monrovia, Liberia

Added: Wednesday, 22 July, 2009, 15:12 GMT 16:12 UK

Amnesty might work when the militants have a political cause that is supported by a large portion of the population. It cannot work when the militants are outright dacoits and murderers. For every such militant given amnesty there will be ten others to fill his place, particularly in the poor countries of Africa.

R Bali, Halle, Germany

Added: Wednesday, 22 July, 2009, 15:03 GMT 16:03 UK

If you feel you can beat your opponent would you grant them amnesty? That said, do you think anyone being offered amnesty doesn't understand this? I think of amnesty as admission of defeat for the greater good (to stop the bloodshed-etc.). The question from there is will your former opponents feel the same way or simply bide time to strike again.

Conor O'Malley, Chicago, United States

Added: Wednesday, 22 July, 2009, 15:03 GMT 16:03 UK

Where atrocities are ethnically or racially motivated and border on genocide, no amnesty! None! Giving amnesty under those conditions, without justice for the victims, just opens up the possibility of the conflict resuming in the future.

No amnesty for the leaders and participants who conducted "ethnic cleansing" in the Balkans during the 1990's.

Some conflict is internal and driven by economic inequalities, as in Latin America. What happened in the former Yugoslavia was more depraved.

leslie Farkas

Added: Wednesday, 22 July, 2009, 14:49 GMT 15:49 UK

Columbia is one place where this is a live and very dangerous issue. Many rebels and paramilitaries were offered and granted an amnesty. As a result, a lot of weapons have been turned in and a number of ex-troublemakers are trying to straighten out. In the context of a long running civil war however, not everyone will take advantage of such an olive branch, and may continue the ways that foster countermeasures.

I don't think this works w/o a change of leaders, policies and economics.

leslie Farkas