Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, Nigeria's Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Nigeria said it was committed to tackling violent extremism, but dismissed any suggestion of genocide in Africa’s most populous nation after U.S. President Donald Trump said thousands of Christians were being killed in a “mass slaughter” by radical Islamists and Christianity faces an existential threat there.
“For the avoidance of any doubt, and out of respect for all the victims and survivors around the world of this unique and appalling crime against humanity, let the record show that there is no genocide, now or ever, in Nigeria,” Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, Minister of Foreign Affairs, said in a message to Newsweek.
Why it Matters
Nigeria is Africa’s heavyweight with a population of around 240 million people and has long rejected suggestions by some U.S. evangelical Christian groups and politicians that killings of Christians are a deliberate campaign of extermination rather than being part of ongoing violence by Islamist radicals and bandits who also routinely kill Muslims in the West African nation.
A worsening relationship between the United States and Nigeria, which could now face potential sanctions, could have implications for the U.S. position more generally in Africa, where China’s diplomatic weight has been growing.
Nigeria, whose population is about evenly split between Christians and Muslims, has been beset by decades of violence whose roots lie not only in religion, but in ethnic division, criminality, local politics, poverty and battles over land between farmers and herders that have been exacerbated by shifts in the climate.
What to Know
Trump accused Nigeria’s government on Friday of failing to stop the persecution of Christians. On Truth Social, he said he intends to designate Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” for violations of religious freedom. That could pave the way for punitive measures and lead to restrictions on non-humanitarian aid.
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter. I am hereby making Nigeria a “COUNTRY OF PARTICULAR CONCERN,” Trump said.
Nigeria was first placed on the U.S. religious freedom watchlist during Trump’s first term in 2020, but the designation was lifted under President Joe Biden’s administration.
“The United States of America has made its statement on religious freedom. Nigeria has noted,” said a statement from foreign ministry spokesperson Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa on Saturday. “We remain committed in our resolve to tackle the violent extremism that is fueled by special interests who have helped drive such decay and division in countries across the intersecting West African and Sahel regions.”
Newsweek sought a response from the White House outside of usual business hours.What People Are Saying
Nigerian foreign ministry spokesperson Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa: “The Federal Government of Nigeria will continue to defend all citizens, irrespective of race, creed, or religion. Like America, Nigeria has no option but to celebrate the diversity that is our greatest strength. Nigeria is a God-fearing country where we respect faith, tolerance, diversity and inclusion, in concurrence with the rules-based international order.”
President Trump on Truth Social: “The United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria, and numerous other Countries. We stand ready, willing, and able to save our Great Christian population around the World!”
What Happens Next
Trump has sought a report from Congress before further action. Nigeria will seek to avoid punitive action as its forces continue to fight Islamists and bandits whose attacks are concentrated in the north of the country, which is largely Muslim, but is home to substantial Christian minorities.
Source: News Week
