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- Nigeria was faraway from a US listing of nations with non secular freedom considerations.
- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will go to Nigeria.
- USCIRF condemned the choice to take away Nigeria from the listing.
Washington on Wednesday eliminated Nigeria from its listing of nations with non secular freedom considerations, only a day earlier than Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives within the nation as a part of a tour of Africa.
The omission drew a pointy rebuke from a US authorities fee that had advisable the Biden administration hold Nigeria as a so-called nation of explicit concern for partaking in or tolerating violations of non secular freedom.
READ | US provides Russia to spiritual freedom blacklist
Blinken made an annual announcement on Wednesday of the nations on the listing.
He named these nations as these of explicit concern:
- Myanmar,
- China,
- Eritrea,
- Iran,
- North Korea,
- Pakistan,
- Russia,
- Saudi Arabia,
- Tajikistan and
- Turkmenistan
He additionally positioned Algeria, Comoros, Cuba and Nicaragua on a watch listing for non secular freedom, and designated armed teams, together with Islamic State and a number of other of its associates, as entities of concern.
However Nigeria, which was added to the listing for the primary time in 2020, was not re-designated.
Blinken is anticipated to reach in Abuja on Thursday, the place he’s set to fulfill with officers together with President Muhammadu Buhari and ship a speech on US Africa coverage.
The State Division didn’t reply to a request for remark, and it was unclear if the designation was associated to the secretary’s journey.
The US Fee on Worldwide Spiritual Freedom (USCIRF) in April advisable that Nigeria stay on the listing, citing “violence by militant Islamists and different non-state armed actors, in addition to discrimination, arbitrary detentions, and capital blasphemy sentences by state authorities” within the nation.
The fee, which had additionally advisable that India, Syria and Vietnam be designated as nations of concern, mentioned in an announcement that it was “appalled” by the removing of Nigeria.
“We urge the State Division to rethink its designations primarily based on information offered in its personal reporting,” chair Nadine Maenza mentioned, referring to the division’s report on worldwide non secular freedom in Could, which cited non secular freedom considerations in Nigeria.
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