President Trump has opened the door for sanctions to be imposed on Nigeria for allegedly failing to rein in the persecution of Christians in the West African country. Trump announced Friday that he would designate Nigeria "a country of particular concern" as it relates to religious freedom, a move that had been pushed by some US lawmakers, per the AP. The designation doesn't necessarily mean that sanctions, which could include a ban on all nonhumanitarian aid, will be imposed, but it's one step ahead of that.
"Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria," Trump wrote in a social media post. "Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter. I am hereby making Nigeria a 'COUNTRY OF PARTICULAR CONCERN.'" The Nigerian government vehemently rejects the claims, and analysts say that while Christians are among those targeted, the majority of victims of armed groups are Muslims in Nigeria's Muslim-majority north, where most attacks occur.
Designating a "country of particular concern" under the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act is an executive prerogative that normally follows recommendations from both the congressionally mandated US Commission on International Religious Freedom and the State Department. Nigeria was first placed on the "country of particular concern" list by the US in 2020 in what the State Department called "systematic violations of religious freedom." However, the designation didn't single out attacks on Christians. The State Department usually releases its annual "Report on International Religious Freedom" in the spring, but it hasn't yet done so this year.
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The report may or may not include "particular concern" designations, which can be done at any time. And, such designations, which authorize US penalties, don't necessarily impose sanctions. Trump said he'd be asking several US lawmakers to look into the matter and report back on what the response to the designation should be.
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