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The United States has officially added Nigeria to its list of “Countries of Particular Concern” over concerns related to religious persecution from terrorist organizations targeting and killing Christians in the country..

Some shit you should know before you read: If you’re unaware, Nigeria is one of many countries in Africa currently battling against different terror organizations, with some of the most notorious being Boko Haram and its offshoot, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). These groups have been responsible for some of the deadliest and most brutal attacks targeting civilians, including Christians, particularly in the country’s northern and northeastern regions. In late 2020, Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the massacre of over 70 farmers in Borno State, many of whom were Christians, in an attack described by the UN as “the most violent direct attack against innocent civilians this year.” In 2018, Boko Haram militants attacked the village of Kautikari, killing at least 11 people and burning a church to the ground. ISWAP has also escalated its violence in recent years, often targeting Christian communities and aid workers. One of the most high-profile incidents occurred in 2020, when ISWAP released a video showing the execution of 11 Christian hostages to “avenge” the deaths of ISIS leaders in the Middle East.

What’s going on now: In a notable development, President Trump announced that Nigeria would be designated a“Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) for what he described as systematic religious persecution, specifically against Christians. “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’.” The designation, created under the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act, is typically applied to countries engaged in or tolerating severe violations of religious freedom and opens the door to potential US sanctions, including restrictions on non-humanitarian aid.

Trump added that he was asking US Representatives Riley Moore and Tom Cole, along with the House Appropriations Committee, to “immediately look into this matter and report back to me,” bypassing the conventional process led by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and the State Department.

In response, the Nigerian government pushed back against Trump’s claims and the designation. In a statement to Newsweek, Nigeria’s minister of foreign affairs said, “For the avoidance of any doubt… there is no genocide, now or ever, in Nigeria. Nigeria is a God-fearing country where we respect faith, tolerance, diversity and inclusion, in concurrence with the rules-based international order.”

Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, a spokesman for the Nigerian Foreign Ministry, echoed this sentiment, stating, “The Federal Government of Nigeria will continue to defend all citizens, irrespective of race, creed, or religion. Like America, Nigeria has no option but to celebrate the diversity that is our greatest strength.”

Nigerian officials maintain that the violence affecting both Christians and Muslims stems from broader issues, including extremism, ethnic tensions, and land disputes, not a state-sponsored campaign of religious persecution.