Trump should not ignore the Nigerian humanitarian crisis

Christians in Nigeria have become martyrs in the modern era. People must faith in our voices to respond to their ordeal.

I read the terrible terrorist attack on June 13, when more than 200 Christians were slaughtered in Yana, Nigeria, while I was resting in the local billiards with my younger son. According to one of the reports, “The body of a boy, about 6 or 7 years old, was flat on his back, his eyes wide open, and his shirt is covered with blood. My son is not older than the boy described in the picture.

I was shaken to the essence of my country. I am not sure whether the mother of the young martyr had escaped from the attackers. If it is among the few survivors, you will need to rely deeply on her faith in order to believe in God who is loving in heaven, causing the son you lost.

YEWALTA is just a modern example of the persecution of Christians in Nigeria. Sixty -eight Christians were killed in Volani raids two weeks ago. One of the attacks was on the birthplace of the Catholic bishop Wilfred Anjabi from McCurde, who recently witnessed the American Congress about the atrocities in its diocese. More than 170 Christians were killed in the Nigerian central belt earlier this year during the holy week and the holy week. Last week, three Catholic Catholic doctors were kidnapped under the threat of weapons in their school school, and more evidence of the increasing targeted attacks on priests and doctors.

The open doors, the Christian Relief Agency, include Nigeria among the most affected countries in the World Watch List, which stated that in 2024 more than 3000 Christians were killed there and more than 2000 were kidnapped. Also, large numbers of Christians in Nigeria were expelled from their homes due to violence and conflict and now they live in displacement camps.

Pope Liu fourteen, who visited Nigeria several times as a former general for Saint Augustine, for the victims of the “terrible massacre” in Yalata on the next Sunday during Angelos prayers on Sunday in St. Boutros Square. The American Catholic Conference called for the same to prayers for the sake of “our brothers and sisters in Nigeria who suffer from violent religious conflict” during the week of religious freedom that is celebrated last month. Christian relief organizations respond to the serious humanitarian crisis that reveals.

World leaders should follow. After pledged to rid the anti -Christian bias from the US federal government, President Trump and his administration are about to take the initiative.

The 1998 International Religious Freedom Law enables the president annually to review the status of religious freedom in every country in the world and appoint every country in which the government participates or tolerance of “severe religious freedom violations” as “countries of a special source of concern.”

This design was delegated by the President to the Foreign Minister. While Nigeria was the last time as a country as a special concern for its insults to religious freedom in 2020, it was strangely dropped from the list by the Biden Administration in 2021. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Biden blamed climate change in the increasing violent attacks against Christians by the militants between the Fulan Muslim militants.

Congress must take measures on the proposed decision issued in March by Representative Chris Smith (RN.J.), the Sub -Committee for Foreign Affairs to the President of Africa, called for the appointment of Nigeria and its punishment as a state of special concern.

In the aftermath of the Yuanah massacre, the United States Committee for International Religious Freedom, an independent committee, from the two parties that monitors the global right to freedom of religion or belief abroad, and likewise, it renewed its call to the Ministry of State to appoint Nigeria to concern a country of special concerns, citing “organized, continuous, and agreeing to religious freedom.” ”

Accelerate the confirmation of the previous suspicion. Mark Walker (RN.C) as ambassador of President Trump in general for international religious freedom will help Foreign Minister Marco Rubio, a long -running defender of international religious freedom, that diplomatic relations with Nigeria are better aware of reality.

Nigerian Christians deserve our attention and more. Looking at the rise in the growing numbers and barbarism of recent killings, I am afraid that it will just be an incomplete designation. Perhaps there is a better sign of what is happening to Christians in Nigeria: genocide.

The genocide has been announced in at least six cases: Bosnia (1993); Rwanda (1994); Iraq (1995); Darfur (2004); Against Yazidis, Christians and Muslims in the Middle East regions under the control of the Islamic State (2016 and 2017); Against Ouigor in the Xinjiang region of China (2021); And Sudan (2025). The most modern ads include the cases targeted by actors non-states of victims because of their religious identity-which is happening in Nigeria.

Although there are no specific or immediate consequences required to follow the genocide declaration, they carry moral weight. Acknowledging that violence against Christians in Nigeria has reached the level of genocide can inspire the global response to humanitarian aid, economic sanctions, diplomatic isolation and even intervention by the United Nations Security Council, not to mention the International Criminal Court’s action to try individuals and responsible regulations.

The unavoidable truth is that in Nigeria, Christians are subjected to persecution, kidnapping, torturing, and killing them for their faith. They have confidence in what Jesus promised in his sermon on the mountain for those who are persecuted because of their faith – “your reward will be great in heaven.” If we stay silent on their ordeal, I tremble to think about what we deserve.

Andrea Picciotti-Bayer is the director of the conscience project.