WASHINGTON (Chatnewstv.com) — U.S. President Donald Trump announced Friday that he is designating Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern,” or CPC, a status reserved for nations that engage in or tolerate “particularly severe violations of religious freedom” under the International Religious Freedom Act.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Mr. Trump claimed that “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria,” asserting that “Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter.”
“Thousands of Christians are being killed,” Mr. Trump wrote. “When Christians, or any such group, are slaughtered like is happening in Nigeria (3,100 versus 4,476 worldwide), something must be done!”
The move follows an intense campaign by some Republican lawmakers urging the U.S. to sanction Nigeria over what they describe as anti-Christian persecution.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and U.S. Rep. Riley Moore, R-WVa., have been vocal proponents of the designation. Mr. Cruz had previously introduced a bill aimed at sanctioning the Nigerian government, claiming extremist groups like Boko Haram have been “hunting down Christians for decades.”
Mr. Moore had previously tagged Nigeria as “the deadliest country in the world for Christians” and wrote to Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanding that the U.S. use every diplomatic tool to stop what he called the “slaughter of Christians.”
“Muslim extremist groups such as ISIS-West Africa, Ansaru, and Boko Haram are major perpetrators,” a part of Mr. Moore’s letter read. “But just as concerning are reports that corrupt cells of the Nigerian government may be complicit.”
Mr. Trump stated that he has directed “Congressman Riley Moore, together with Chairman Tom Cole and the House Appropriations Committee, to immediately look into this matter.”
“The United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria, and numerous other Countries,” he said. “We stand ready, willing, and able to save our Great Christian population around the World!”
The CPC designation allows the U.S. to impose sanctions, including a ban on some non-humanitarian aid, though the president may issue a waiver. Nigeria was previously designated a CPC by then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in 2020 but was removed by Secretary Antony Blinken in 2021.
The 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom: Nigeria – State Department provides background on the initial CPC designation of Nigeria in 2020 and discusses the drivers of conflict, which include ethnic, political, and economic factors alongside religious differences.
