On 15 November 2021, the US Secretary of State
designated the most recent Countries of Particular Concern (CPC). Nigeria was removed from that list and has also not been included as a Special Watch List country. It had been included in the
previous CPC listing in December 2020 "due to systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom. Violent attacks by Boko Haram and ethno-religious conflict have become more frequent, and are exacerbated by the judiciary system". US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, whose two-day official visit to Nigeria ended on Friday 19 November 2021, claims that "the
delisting of Nigeria was based on facts" (Sahara Reporters, 20 November 2021).
Frans Veerman, Managing Director of World Watch Research (WWR) is astounded: "The situation in Nigeria has not improved and there is no clear reason why Nigeria should lose CPC status. Research on violence in the country has indicated a higher number of people killed than in the previous year. There are several indications that Nigeria is heading towards a catastrophic situation centered around dynamics created by the Persecution engines
Islamic oppression and
ethno-religious hostility (see definitions in:
Short version of WWL Methodology, WWR, October 2021, pp. 24-25). The question now is:
Why is the US government moving away from holding President Buhari and his government accountable and moving towards the legitimization of Nigerian government (in)action?"
Frans Veerman is not alone in his consternation. There follows a list of similar reactions from experts with detailed knowledge of the country"s volatile situation:
- US Commission on International Religious Freedom
USCIRF, 17 November 2021:
"The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) finds it unexplainable that the U.S. Department of State did not redesignate Nigeria as a "˜Country of Particular Concern" (CPC) and treated it as a country with no severe religious freedom violations. - While the State Department took steps forward on some designations, USCIRF is especially displeased with the removal of Nigeria from its CPC designation, where it was rightfully placed last year, as well as the omission of India, Syria, and Vietnam. We urge the State Department to reconsider its designations based on facts presented in its own reporting."
- Global Mission Leader and Nigerian peace advocate, Revd. Gideon Para-Mallam
New Telegraph, 21 November 2021:
"Revd. Gideon Para-Mallam has accused the government of the United States of America (USA) of encouraging impunity and lawlessness which is perpetrated against the Nigerian people, by the current dispensation in the country. - According to Para-Mallam, to have stooped so [low], the US has allowed herself to be blinded by the culture of denialism when it comes to religious persecution by the present government in Nigeria. - Such pandering in massaging the political ego of the Nigerian power elite suits the Nigerian government but hurts its people both in the short and long term".
- Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN)
Punch, 21 November 2021:
The Christian Association of Nigeria "said it was "˜at a loss" on statistics used by the US government in arriving at the decision to delist Nigeria from "˜Countries of Particular Concern" on freedom of religion."
Sahara Reporters, 20 November 2021:
"The Christian Association of Nigeria has kicked against the United States" removal of Nigeria from its 2021 list of religious violators, saying that Christians are still being persecuted by terrorist groups and other Islamic associations in the country: - "˜we urge the US government to help us by allowing us to know what has changed between the time our country was put in the list of countries of particular concern and now"".
CT, 17 November 2021:
"Sam Brownback, the State Department"s religious freedom ambassador when the 2020 designations were made, stated Nigeria"s "˜sudden removal" is a "˜serious blow" to religious freedom in the region. "˜Just when we should be doing everything possible to stop the relentless violence that"s targeting Christians and others, we do the opposite"".
Frans Veerman concludes: "I join the voices of those who wonder about the facts that are said to underline the US decision. Could it be that Nigeria has been de-categorized to enable large-scale trade deals that were impeded by the CPC status? WWR analysis, in collaboration with the Para-Mallam Peace Foundation, indicates that the recorded number of Christians killed for their faith is higher than last year"s record high (3530 from 1 October 2019 till 30 September 2020). Many communities have been raided, or permanently occupied; harvests destroyed, farmlands occupied. Non-violent acts of hostility against Christians also abound, especially in the Sharia states. It is as if everything is set for a violent climax before the end of President Buhari"s last months in office; his second term officially ends in May 2023."
