US Plan on Nigeria to ‘Consider’ Sanctions, Official Says
The Trump administration intends to address sanctions in a plan it is preparing to counter violence against Christians in Nigeria, a State Department official told the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa Nov. 20.
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The "administration is developing a plan to incentivize and compel the Nigerian government to better protect Christian communities and improve religious freedom,” said Jonathan Pratt, the State Department’s senior bureau official for African affairs. “This plan will consider U.S. State and Treasury engagement on sanctions.”
The hearing was chaired by Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., who has introduced a resolution urging the administration to sanction individuals and entities responsible for “severe violations” of religious freedom in Nigeria (see 2511100044).
Also during the hearing, Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga., said he worries that the AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters that the U.S. is considering selling to Nigeria's government could end up in the hands of bad actors. "I'm very concerned with how that's going to be deployed and against whom," McCormick said.