The United States on Friday designated Nigeria as a country of particular concern following the reports of mass killing of Christians.
President Donald Trump in a post on his verified social media account said the United States cannot stand and watch while terrorists kill thousands of Christians in Nigeria.
According to Trump, Christianity is facing existential threat in Nigeria, and United States cannot stand and watch the terrorists killing innocent Christians in the country or any other places in the world.
“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”, Trump said.
“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” — But that is the least of it.
“When Christians, or any such group, is slaughtered like is happening in Nigeria (3,100 versus 4,476 Worldwide), something must be done! I am asking Congressman Riley Moore, together with Chairman Tom Cole and the House Appropriations Committee, to immediately look into this matter, and report back to me.
AbaCityBlog reports that there has been reports on killings of Christians in Nigeria, while the Nigerian government has argued that the killers are not only targeting the Christians alone, the United States has asked the Nigerian government to deal with the terrorist and put an end to the incessant killings.
What does this means?
When the U.S. designates a country as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC), it means the U.S. government has determined that the nation’s government has engaged in or tolerated “systematic, ongoing, and egregious” violations of religious freedom.
Potential Consequences
The primary purpose of the CPC designation is to create diplomatic and economic pressure for change. Potential consequences can include:
Diplomatic consequences: Public condemnation and official diplomatic pressure.
Economic sanctions: Restrictions on U.S. foreign aid, trade limitations, or other economic penalties.
Targeted actions: The U.S. government has a list of 15 possible actions it can take against CPC countries, which are tailored to the specific circumstances and can range from a waiver of sanctions to specific punitive measures.
