Trump places Nigeria on watch list over claims of anti-Christian violence

Allegation that Nigerian Christians look ‘existential threat’ seems to reflector contested claims by right-wing lawmakers.

United States President Donald Trump has announced that Nigeria volition beryllium placed connected a watchlist for spiritual freedom, based connected vague claims that Christians successful the state are being “slaughtered” by Muslims.

In a societal media post connected Friday, Trump explained that the African federation would beryllium added to a Department of State database of “Countries of Particular Concern”.

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“Christianity is facing an existential menace successful Nigeria,” Trump wrote. “Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are liable for this wide slaughter. I americium hereby making Nigeria a ‘COUNTRY OF PARTICULAR CONCERN’.”

The Nigerian authorities has denied specified allegations successful the past. But critics pass that designating Nigeria a “country of peculiar concern” could pave the mode for aboriginal sanctions.

Trump besides appears to person bypassed the mean process for specified matters.

The 1998 International Religious Freedom Act created the class of “country of peculiar concern” successful bid to assistance show spiritual persecution and advocator for its end.

But that statement is usually assigned astatine the proposal of the US Commission connected International Religious Freedom – a bipartisan radical established by Congress – and specialists successful the State Department.

In Friday’s post, Trump explained that helium had asked the House Appropriations Committee and 2 congressmen, Representatives Riley Moore and Tom Cole, to “immediately look into this matter”. Both are Republican.

Trump’s claims look to reflector connection pushed by right-wing lawmakers, which frames fractious and sometimes convulsive disputes successful Nigeria arsenic a lawsuit of extremist Islamists attacking Christians.

Experts, however, person called that framing mostly inaccurate, explaining that strife successful the state is not explained simply by spiritual differences.

Nigeria is divided betwixt a majority-Muslim northbound and a mostly Christian south. The state has struggled with convulsive attacks from the radical Boko Haram, which has created turmoil and displacement for much than a decade.

Disputes implicit resources specified arsenic h2o person besides exacerbated tensions and sometimes led to violent clashes betwixt mostly Christian farmers and mostly Muslim shepherds. Nigeria has denied, however, that specified clashes are chiefly motivated by spiritual affiliation.

Still, Representative Moore echoed Trump’s appraisal successful a connection aft Friday’s announcement.

“I person been calling for this designation since my archetypal level code successful April, wherever I highlighted the plight of Christians successful Muslim bulk countries,” Moore said.

He added that helium planned to “ensure that Nigeria receives the planetary attention, pressure, and accountability it urgently needs”.

Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, different Republican, besides applauded Trump’s decision. “I americium profoundly gratified to President Trump for making this determination,” helium said successful a quality release. “I person fought for years to antagonistic the slaughter and persecution of Christians successful Nigeria.”

Since returning to bureau for a 2nd word successful January, Trump has sought to bolster his basal among the Christian close successful the US.

At a supplication meal successful February, helium announced his medication was establishing a task unit to basal retired anti-Christian bias successful the national government.

Later, successful July, his medication issued a memo allowing national employees to evangelise successful their workplaces.

While Trump denounced alleged anti-Christian unit successful Friday’s post, his medication has besides been precocious criticised for its argumentation towards refugees: radical fleeing persecution oregon unit successful their homelands.

On Wednesday, Trump announced the lowest-ever cap connected exile admissions successful the US, limiting introduction to conscionable 7,500 radical for each of fiscal twelvemonth 2026.

In a announcement posted to the Federal Register’s website, helium explained that astir of those spots would “primarily beryllium allocated among Afrikaners from South Africa” and “other victims of amerciable oregon unjust discrimination”.

Critics were speedy to constituent retired that exile presumption is awarded for fearfulness of systematic persecution, not discrimination.

Still, Trump has continued to ratchet up diplomatic tensions with South Africa, falsely claiming that achromatic Afrikaners are subjected to a “genocide”, an allegation often pushed by figures connected the acold right.