US congress schedules hearing on violence in Nigeria

The United States House of Representatives will convene a congressional hearing on Thursday to assess Nigeria's efforts to safeguard Christians and address security concerns in the country's Middle Belt region. The hearing, chaired by Republican lawmaker Chris Smith, will delve into the government's response to religious violence by extremist groups like Boko Haram and Fulani terrorists, as well as the measures taken to protect vulnerable communities.

The session, titled "One Year Later: Assessing Nigeria’s Efforts to Protect Christians and Secure the Middle Belt," will involve discussions on the current state of religious violence in Nigeria, the Nigerian government's response to persecutions, and potential steps the United States can take to support efforts to curb violence against Christian and non-radical Muslim communities.

The hearing will be chaired by Smith, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, and will feature presentations from US State Department officials and experts in religious freedom and security matters. The hearing comes amid increased scrutiny of Nigeria's security situation by US lawmakers and the Trump administration, which recently designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern for alleged severe violations of religious freedom.