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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Crime & Justice

US commits $3.5m to monitor Nigeria’s religious violence

From The Punch · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • The U.S. Department of State announced a $3.5 million funding opportunity to improve the documentation and reporting of religious freedom abuses in Nigeria.
  • The initiative seeks applications from organizations capable of strengthening reporting on religiously linked attacks affecting both Christians and Muslims, noting inadequate government responses.
  • The funding follows Nigeria's designation as a "Country of Particular Concern" by the U.S. over religious freedom issues.

The United States is committing $3.5 million to bolster the monitoring and reporting of religious freedom violations in Nigeria. The funding, announced by the State Department's Office of International Religious Freedom, aims to enhance documentation of attacks linked to religion across the country.

The Office of International Religious Freedom announces an open competition for organisations interested in submitting applications for projects that improve documentation and reporting efforts on religious freedom abuses in Nigeria, for accountability, advocacy, and memorialisation.

— The State DepartmentThe notice of funding opportunity detailing the initiative's goals.

Organizations are invited to apply for grants or cooperative agreements to strengthen reporting efforts. The initiative will focus on documenting abuses by both state and non-state actors, including groups like Boko Haram and Fulani ethnic militias. The U.S. government highlighted that both Christians and Muslims have been affected by this violence.

Documenters, human rights and religious freedom advocates, religious leaders and community members, academics, journalists, and survivors have contributed to an evidence base that illustrates the extreme levels of violence perpetrated by Boko Haram, ISIS-West Africa, Fulani ethnic militias, and other armed actors against Christians and Muslims.

— The noticeDescribing the evidence base for religious violence in Nigeria.

The funding notice also criticized Nigerian authorities for their perceived inadequate responses to attacks on faith communities. It stated that authorities often fail to act promptly or effectively, leading to widespread impunity and encouraging further violence and displacement. The document also mentioned credible reports of Nigerian security personnel raiding places of worship.

Civil society reports indicate that authorities regularly fail to respond in a timely or effective manner to violent attacks against civilians and faith communities, and particularly attacks against Christians.

— The documentCriticizing the Nigerian authorities' response to religious attacks.

This initiative follows President Donald Trump's decision to designate Nigeria as a "Country of Particular Concern" due to worsening religious freedom issues, placing a spotlight on the severity of the problems.

This leads to widespread impunity for violence which encourages more violence, leading to further abuses and displacements.

— The documentExplaining the consequence of inadequate responses to violence.
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Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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