US Puts Nigeria Back On Religious Watchlist After ‘Genocide’ Claims

By ANITA KNIGHT

The United States has moved to relist Nigeria on its religious freedom watchlist after President Donald Trump designated the country a “Country of Particular Concern,” accusing Abuja of tolerating mass attacks on Christians and ordering the Pentagon to prepare for possible action. The decision — and Trump’s threat of military steps if the violence continues — has sparked diplomatic heat and strong pushback from Nigeria, which rejects the “genocide” label and says the claim misrepresents its security challenges. The move reverses earlier U.S. policy and has prompted intense debate at home and abroad about the causes of Nigeria’s violence, the risks of foreign intervention, and the potential fallout for bilateral ties. Sahara Reporters+1