Based on flimsy claims that Christians in the nation are being “slaughtered” by Muslims, United States President Donald Trump has announced that Nigeria will be placed on a watchlist for religious freedom.
Trump stated in a social media post on Friday that the African country would be listed among the “Countries of Particular Concern” on the Department of State’s list.
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According to Trump, “Christianity is in danger of dying in Nigeria.” “There are countless Christians killed,” he said. This large-scale slaughter was carried out by radical Islamists. I designate Nigeria as the “COUNTRY OF PARTICULAR CONCERN.”
In the past, the Nigerian government has refuted these claims. However, critics warn that naming Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” might lead to a rise in sanctions.
Trump also appears to have skipped the customary course of action in these matters.
In order to monitor and advocate for the end of religious persecution, the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act established the category of “country of particular concern.”
However, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, a bipartisan body established by Congress, and State Department experts, typically give that label.
Trump stated in a Friday post that he had asked the House Appropriations Committee, two congressmen, Riley Moore, and Tom Cole to “immediately look into this matter.” Both candidates are Republicans.
Trump’s claims appear to refute the language of right-wing lawmakers, which characterizes violent and contentious disputes in Nigeria as the result of violent attacks by radical Islamists on Christians.
However, experts claim that the framing is largely inaccurate, arguing that national strife cannot simply be explained by differences in religion.
Nigeria has a largely Christian north and a majority of its residents are Muslims. Boko Haram, a group that has caused unrest and displacement for more than a decade, has been conducting violent attacks against the nation.
Conflicts over resources, such as water, have also heightened tensions and occasionally caused violent clashes between predominantly Muslim shepherds and predominantly Christian farmers. However, Nigeria has refuted the claim that religious affiliation is the primary cause of these conflicts.
Representative Moore continued to express his thoughts on Friday’s announcement in a statement.
According to Moore, “I have been calling for this designation since my first floor speech in April, in which I highlighted the suffering of Christians in countries with Muslim majority.”
He added that he intended to “make sure Nigeria receives the international pressure, accountability, and attention it so desperately needs.”
Trump’s decision was also applauded by Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas. In a press release, he stated, “I am deeply gratified to President Trump for making this determination.” “I have fought for years in Nigeria to stop Christians from being massacred and persecuted.”
Trump has attempted to bolster his support among the Christian right in the US since taking office for a second term in January.
He announced at a prayer breakfast in February that his administration would form a task force to combat anti-Christian bias in the federal government.
His administration later issued a memo allowing federal employees to conduct workplace evangelism in July.
Trump’s administration has recently been criticized for its approach to refugees, which includes those who are fleeing persecution or violence in their own countries, despite the alleged anti-Christian violence in Friday’s post.
Trump set the lowest-ever refugee admissions cap on Wednesday, limiting entry to just 7,500 for the entire fiscal year 2026.
He explained in a notice posted to the Federal Register’s website that the majority of those spots would be “primarily distributed among Afrikaners from South Africa” and “other victims of illegal or unjust discrimination.”
Critics pointed out that refugees are granted refuge from fear of systematic oppression rather than discrimination.
Trump has ratcheted up diplomatic ties with South Africa, falsely accusing white Afrikans of being the victims of a “genocide,” an assertion that is frequently supported by far-right figures.
