Washington, D.C. [US], November 1 (ANI): US President Donald Trump has designated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern,” claiming that Christianity is facing an “existential threat” in the nation amid escalating violence between Muslim and Christian communities.
Trump blamed “radical Islamists” for the persecution of Nigeria’s Christian minority and directed two federal lawmakers, Riley Moore and Tom Cole, to investigate the issue.
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter. I am hereby making Nigeria a ‘COUNTRY OF PARTICULAR CONCERN.’ But that is the least of it. When Christians, or any such group, are slaughtered like what is happening in Nigeria (3,100 versus 4,476 worldwide), something must be done!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
“I am asking Congressman Riley Moore, together with Chairman Tom Cole and the House Appropriations Committee, to immediately look into this matter and report back to me,” he added.
Trump further stated that the US cannot stand by amid such “atrocities” and assured global Christian communities of America’s support. “The United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria and numerous other countries. We stand ready, willing, and able to save our great Christian population around the world!” he said.
In June, more than 20 people were killed in a militant attack on the home village of a Nigerian bishop, just days after he testified before the US Congress about the persecution of Christians, Fox News reported, citing local sources. The assault was among a series of deadly incidents in Plateau and Benue states this year, where hundreds have been killed.
According to international watchdog group Open Doors, nearly 70 percent of Christians killed worldwide for their faith last year were from Nigeria. The organization attributed most of the violence to Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and Fulani militant herders, who frequently target Christian farmers in the Middle Belt region.
Rights groups estimate that several thousand Christians are killed annually, with many others forced to flee their homes, Fox News reported.
Mark Walker, President Trump’s ambassador-designate for International Religious Freedom, told Fox News that the United States must increase pressure on Nigeria to address the growing violence.
“Even being conservative, it’s probably 4,000 to 8,000 Christians killed annually,” Walker said. “This has been going on for years — from ISWAP to Islamist Fulani ethnic militias — and the Nigerian government has to be much more proactive.”
Walker, a former pastor and Republican congressman from North Carolina, said he has been working with church networks across Africa to protect missionaries and local believers. “This isn’t about appropriations or politics — this is about human life. We’re talking about boys and girls, about women being kidnapped and horrific things happening. All of us should raise our voices,” he added.
Walker also said he plans to work closely with Senator Marco Rubio to strengthen US advocacy once confirmed. “Fortunately, we have a Secretary of State who has been one of the stronger voices,” Walker said. “He’s already put out statements and is very in tune with what’s going on. I look forward to advising him when it comes to countries of particular concern.”
The White House has acknowledged a surge in anti-Christian violence across sub-Saharan Africa, warning that jihadist groups are exploiting political instability and porous borders. Both Pope Leo and the US State Department have condemned recent massacres in Nigeria, cautioning that the crisis could spread beyond the country’s borders, Fox News reported.
However, Nigerian authorities have denied that Christians are being systematically targeted. Information Minister Mohammed Idris told Fox News that claims of mass persecution were “very misleading,” rejecting reports that tens of thousands had been killed.
US Senator Ted Cruz also commented, saying, “Since 2009, over 50,000 Christians in Nigeria have been massacred and over 20,000 churches and Christian schools have been destroyed.” He described the violence as “a crisis of religious genocide” and called for stronger US measures. (ANI)
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