The United States will restrict visas for Nigerians and their family members involved in mass killings and violence against Christians in the West African country, the U.S. State Department said Wednesday.
The attacks on the community are part of a longstanding and extremely complex security crisis in Nigeria — a nation recently singled out by U.S. President Donald Trump for “the killing of Christians” by “radical Islamists.”
Last month, Trump also said he has ordered the Pentagon to begin planning for potential military action in Nigeria following the claims of Christian persecution.
“The United States is taking decisive action in response to the mass killings and violence against Christians by radical Islamic terrorists, Fulani ethnic militias, and other violent actors in Nigeria and beyond,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement posted on X.
He added that the policy would apply to other governments or individuals engaged in violations of religious freedom, and that the restrictions are in line with a new policy under the Immigration and Nationality Act.
The move follows the designation of Nigeria by the U.S. as a “country of particular concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act last month.
It wasn’t immediately clear how Wednesday’s policy would be implemented, as the State Department already has the ability to restrict travel to the U.S. by those involved in human rights abuses.
In addition to Nigeria, the list of nations designated as “countries of particular concern” includes China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
Attacks in Nigeria have varying motives. There are religiously motivated ones targeting both Christians and Muslims, as well as clashes between farmers and herders over dwindling resources, communal rivalries, secessionist groups, and ethnic clashes.
Nigeria’s population of about 220 million people is split almost equally between Christians and Muslims.
The West African country has long faced insecurity from various fronts including the Boko Haram extremist group, which seeks to establish its radical interpretation of Islamic law and has also targeted Muslims it deems are not Muslim enough.
Also, there has been an uptick in the activities of armed gangs in the central part of the country who kidnap locals for ransom.
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AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee contributed to this report
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