Nigeria Dismisses US Claims about Persecution of Christians
The Nigerian government rejected the United States' designation of Nigeria as "a country of particular concern" for alleged religious freedom violations, calling the claims based on misinformation.
US Designation and Response
On Friday, US President Donald Trump announced Nigeria's designation due to the killing of Christians by radical Islamist groups. This classification by the State Department targets countries violating religious freedom. Over the weekend, Trump stated he requested the Department of Defense to prepare for possible "fast" military action if Nigeria failed to address the killings promptly. This stance has strained diplomatic relations between the two nations.
Nigerian Government's Statement
"Recent external claims suggesting systemic religious persecution in Nigeria are unfounded," said Foreign Ministry Permanent Secretary Dunoma Umar Ahmed during a briefing with foreign diplomats in Abuja.
Ahmed emphasized that the Nigerian state continues a thorough counter-terrorism campaign against groups targeting people of all faiths. He criticized the US rhetoric as "disparaging" and stressed that "dialogue and cooperation" should guide international relations between sovereign states.
Diplomatic Context
It was unclear if the US ambassador attended the briefing in Abuja.