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Washington, D.C. – Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX), Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI), Subcommittee on Africa Chairman John James (R-MI), and a group of lawmakers sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken demanding answers regarding the slaughter of Christians in Nigeria.

On Christmas Eve 2023, an estimated 200 Nigerian Christians were killed by Islamic Jihadists. This letter requests that the State Department report to Congress on its plan to address concerns for the lives of Nigerian Christians and the tragic loss of life simply for practicing their faith. This report should include specific details on how the State Department plans to engage with the Government of Nigeria to eliminate further occurrence of these atrocities.

Importantly, the Members of Congress are requesting specific details as to why the Biden administration removed Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern under the International Religious Freedom Act in 2021 and why these recent events failed to meet the threshold of concern.

“This failure to designate Nigeria falls short of the needs of the Christian communities throughout Nigeria that are facing constant threats from jihadists,” wrote the lawmakers. “Islamic State terror groups such as ISIS, al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, and al-Qaeda perpetuate this senseless violence across Africa. Throughout northern and central Nigeria, violent assaults on churches and their congregations are reportedly carried out on a near-weekly basis. It is clear that the Biden administration must make religiously motivated violence a top priority in its engagement with the Government of Nigeria.”

 

The full text of the letter can be found here and below.

 

Dear Secretary Blinken,

We write to urge the Biden administration to reevaluate the United States’ decision to not designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for severe violations of religious freedom under the International Religious Freedom Act. In light of several recent tragedies, it is clear that the Biden administration must make religiously motivated violence a top priority in its engagement with the Government of Nigeria.

While many Americans were celebrating Christmas surrounded by family, the reality in Nigeria was far bleaker. According to Amnesty International, in roughly 20 communities across central Nigeria, terrorists “killed for sport,” butchering an estimated 200 Christians on the holy day. These tragic events are nothing new. Reporting indicates that in 2022 alone, at least 145 Catholic priests in Nigeria were killed, with 30 others kidnapped in 39 separate terror attacks.

This failure to designate Nigeria falls short of the needs of the Christian communities throughout Nigeria that are facing constant threats from jihadists. Islamic State terror groups such as ISIS, al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, and al-Qaeda perpetuate this senseless violence across Africa. Throughout northern and central Nigeria, violent assaults on churches and their congregations are reportedly carried out on a near-weekly basis. Moreover, according to Open Doors, a Christian Advocacy group, more than 90% of the global total of Christian deaths occur in Africa.  While such atrocities have existed within Nigeria for decades, the Nigerian Government’s unwillingness to address the violence is the cause of significant concern.

For these reasons, we are extremely concerned that the State Department’s January 4, 2024, press release titled “Religious Freedom Designations” fails to designate Nigeria as a CPC despite the United States Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) repeatedly recommending otherwise. The Integrated Country Strategy for Nigeria’s first mission goal is to build “Stronger Democratic Institutions, Governance, and Respect for Human Rights.” The Department’s inability to conduct even the most basic diplomatic engagement by sending the Ambassador for Religious Freedom to investigate these severe violations of religious freedoms in Nigeria only adds to the disconnect between the Nigerian people, the Government of Nigeria, and U.S. foreign policy.

We request that the State Department thoroughly report to Congress on its plan to address our concern for Nigerian Christians slaughtered at the hands of Islamic Jihadists. This report should include specific details on how the State Department plans to engage with the Nigerian Government to eliminate the atrocities occurring under their watch. Additionally, we request specific details as to why the Biden administration removed Nigeria as a CPC in 2021 and why recent events failed to meet the threshold of concern. Continuing to ignore the repeated massacring of a particular group of religious and ethnic people only perpetuates the cycle of violence. More must be done to combat these heinous acts. 

Joining McCaul, Huizenga, and James on the letter are Representatives: Chris Smith (NJ); Andy Ogles (TN); Harriet Hageman (WY); Ralph Norman (SC); Rich McCormick (GA); Jim Baird (IN); Daniel Webster (FL); John Rose (TN); Michael Cloud (TX); Michael Guest (MS); Maria Salazar (FL); John Moolenaar (MI); Mario Diaz-Balart (FL); Chip Roy (TX); French Hill (AR); Keith Self (TX); Jake LaTurner (KS); Tim Walberg (MI); and Darrell Issa (CA).

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