Genocide Watch reported that on June 13 over 200 Christians were massacred in Guma County, Beuno State. The attack took place in Yelwata, a farming community that was 98% Christian, and was orchestrated by Fulani jihadists.
Witnesses to the attack say that around 10 p.m., 40 gunmen on motorcycles opened fire on civilians and set houses on fire while shouting “Allahu Akbar.”
This is not the first attack in Beuno State. Three others have been reported in the last two months in the regions of Gwer-West County, Apa County, and Makurdi.
Arielle Del Turco, director of the Center for Religious Liberty at the Family Research Council, spoke with Jody Hice on Washington Watch regarding the recent massacre in Nigeria.
She believes it is encouraging that this incident is receiving more international attention than usual. The location of the area made it easier for journalists to access it in order to take pictures and speak to witnesses.
“I think this attack just demonstrates the many, many attacks that happen across these rural communities in Nigeria that are mainly Christian, where they are ruthlessly targeted for attack, and the Nigerian government just isn't doing enough to protect them,” Del Turco says.
CPC conditions
This incident has led to the consideration of the U.S. government declaring Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC).
The International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 requires the president to review the status of religious freedom in every country, looking to see if a country’s government has committed “particularly severe violations of religious freedom.” The State Department then declares those in violation of these freedoms as a CPC.
Four factors that are declared severe violations are:
-- Torture
-- Prolonged detention without being charged
-- Forced disappearance
-- And a clear disregard for a person’s life, liberty, and security.
As of 2023, some of that countries that are declared as CPCs are the People’s Republic of China, Iran, Nicaragua, and Russia.
Del Turco thinks that this incident makes it the best time for the U.S. government to redesignate Nigeria as a CPC as there is a “political will to get it done.”
“Time and again, Christians and Christian communities are begging the Nigerian government for protection, for security, to go after these terrorists who have committed murder and acts of violence against them,” Del Turco says. “And the Nigerian government, we believe, has the capability to do this, but they simply refuse to.”
Nigeria’s continuous toleration of severe violations of religious freedom leaves them open to a CPC designation. It has resisted this label before as countries normally try to avoid this designation. It could lead to diplomatic pressure, sanctions and other economic pressure such as reduced foreign aid or investment deterrence.
“So, they deserve this designation, and it's really a label that will shame them,” Del Turco said.
Nigeria Undesignated
“So, this has been a problem country for a really long time. However, we have seen a lot of resistance in the State Department to designating Nigeria a country of particular concern,” she said.
Despite Nigeria’s atrocities, the State Department has avoided granting Nigeria that label. Excuses range from wanting to maintain relations with the Nigerian government to issues regarding security.
“They'll maybe deny that religious freedom is the main problem here. However, when terrorists are rampaging your village, shouting ‘Allahu Akbar,’ it's hard not to take that as a violation of religious freedom,” Del Turco says.
Nigeria was previously designated a CPC during the last year of the first Trump administration, only for it to be revoked once President Joe Biden entered the office.
“But we believe that the Trump administration has the political will to redesignate Nigeria, even though it is a heavy lift. So, we're looking forward to that,” Del Turco said.
