President Donald Trump is drawing attention to the persecution of Christians in Africa, which has created a moment of “leverage” and momentum for “real action,” according to a new report from The Heritage Foundation.
“Human rights attacks against Christians occur too often, though [they] escape mainstream America, given unfamiliarity, distance, and competing priorities,” Ned Rauch-Mannino, a visiting fellow for The Heritage Foundation’s Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for National Security, wrote in the report.
The persecution of Christians in Africa is not new. In Nigeria, for example, radical Islamic terrorists have killed more than 50,000 Christians since 2009 alone.
“In the northern areas of Nigeria, the [Democratic Republic of the Congo’s] North Kivu and Ituri Provinces, northern Mozambique, and the Sahel, terrorist and extremist organizations deliberately target Christians for killings, beheadings, kidnappings, and church burnings in an effort to disrupt and destroy Christian communities and their influence,” according to the report.
‘Country of Particular Concern’
During his first administration, Trump designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” due to the continuous killing of Christians at the hands of Islamic militants. The Biden administration removed the designation, but last week, Trump announced he would once again add Nigeria to the list of nations of “Particular Concern.”
The U.S. Department of State designates a country as one of “particular concern” if that nation has tolerated or engaged in “particularly severe violations of religious freedom.”
Since the start of 2025, more than 7,000 Christians were killed in Nigeria, according to the Heritage report, more than doubling the reported killings of last year.
US Response
Trump has directed the Department of War to prepare for possible action in Nigeria in response to the violence.
“If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’” Trump wrote on social media on Saturday.
“The President’s immediate response to worsening persecution in Nigeria demonstrates his seriousness, and as the White House remains unflinching in its pursuit of peace, expectations are high as this Administration maintains its generational leadership example,” Rauch-Mannino wrote.
During Trump’s first administration, the U.S. made religious freedom a critical component of its foreign policy, and doing so again will “would resume America’s leadership for peace for persecuted Christians in Africa and worldwide,” he says.
Trade negotiations and counterterrorism cooperation can both serve as powerful tools to address the persecution of Christians in Africa, the report asserts.
“The White House has proven its ability to leverage deal-making strengths to resolve conflicts around the world and unflinchingly take clear stances,” Rauch-Mannino said.
“Present negotiations in special circumstances could set expectations to demonstrably increase support, enable greater counterterrorism cooperation, and pursue and enforce laws crucial to the protection of threatened religious communities,” he added.
Rauch-Mannino contends that Congress and the executive can also levy pressure on Nigeria through a congressional delegation and senior official visits to Nigeria.
“Whether in Nigeria or elsewhere, violence against Christians requires action,” he said.
