The United States House of Representatives is set to hold a congressional hearing on Nigeria’s efforts to protect Christians and address insecurity in the Middle Belt.
Gatekeepers News reports that the hearing, scheduled for Thursday, November 12, will be chaired by Chris Smith, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa.
According to a statement from Smith’s office, the session, titled “One Year Later: Assessing Nigeria’s Efforts to Protect Christians and Secure the Middle Belt”, will examine religious violence by extremist groups, including Boko Haram, and the Federal Government’s response to attacks on vulnerable communities.
The lawmakers will also assess measures taken by the Nigerian government to curb religious persecution, bring perpetrators to justice and protect Christian and non-radical Muslim communities.
The hearing will further consider steps the United States could take to ensure Nigerian authorities address and prevent attacks against vulnerable communities.
The first panel will feature Frank Garcia, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, and Riley Barnes, Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labour.
The second panel will comprise Nina Shea, Senior Fellow and Director of the Centre for Religious Freedom at the Hudson Institute; Ryan Brown, Chief Executive Officer of Open Doors US; and Oge Onubogu, Director and Senior Fellow of the Africa Programme at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
The hearing will begin at 11 a.m. at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, DC, and will also be streamed live on YouTube.
Smith, a Republican representative from New Jersey, is expected to chair his 14th congressional hearing on the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
The development comes a year after US President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over allegations of religious freedom violations and attacks on Christians.
However, the Nigerian government has consistently rejected the characterisation of the country’s security challenges as primarily religious persecution, maintaining that violence affects both Christians and Muslims.
Nigeria and the United States have since strengthened military cooperation, including joint efforts to tackle terrorist groups operating in the country.
