The United States has issued a strong condemnation of the recent surge in brutal attacks targeting Christian communities in Nigeria and across sub-Saharan Africa, labelling the violence “horrific” and pledging to collaborate with international partners to address the escalating crisis.
The statement follows a series of deadly assaults, including the massacre of 27 Christians in Bindi Ta-hoss, a village in Plateau State.
Islamist Fulani militants are accused of burning many victims, including women and children, alive as they sought refuge in a local church.
“I lost my wife and second daughter in the attack,” said survivor Solomon Sunday, his voice breaking. “They were burned alive.”
In a separate attack on July 27, 49 Christians were killed with machetes during a prayer service in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Authorities attribute the massacre to the Allied Democratic Forces, an ISIS-affiliated group.
Across the region, groups like Boko Haram and ISIS West Africa have been blamed for targeting Christians for killing, displacement, and land seizures in what human rights groups describe as “ethno-religious cleansing.
”The Trump administration responded decisively. “The Trump administration condemns in the strongest terms this horrific violence against Christians,” the White House stated, emphasising that religious freedom is a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy. The State Department echoed the sentiment, vowing to work with allies to curb the violence.
In Nigeria’s Plateau State alone, over 165 Christians have been killed in the past four months, according to John Eibner, president of Christian Solidarity International.
“People are being killed like chickens, and nothing is being done,” said D’Young Mangut, a local youth leader.
Open Doors, a nonprofit tracking persecution, reports that Nigeria accounts for more Christian deaths due to faith than the rest of the world combined. Over the past decade, jihadist violence in sub-Saharan Africa has killed approximately 150,000 people and displaced over 16 million Christians. In Plateau State, armed Fulani militants have reportedly seized 64 communities.
Religious leaders describe the violence as systematic and unchecked. Bishop Wilfred Anagbe, who lost 20 parishioners in a recent attack, accused militants of attempting to establish an Islamic State in parts of Nigeria. Victims’ families, frustrated by inaction, say they are “tired of condolences” and demand concrete protection.
Advocates are pressing African governments to enforce justice, restore displaced communities, and deploy security forces to safeguard vulnerable villages.
“For too long, nobody has been talking about the horrific wholesale slaughter of Christians,” said Henrietta Blyth, CEO of Open Doors UK and Ireland. “The Western world needs to wake up and be outraged.”
The U.S. has yet to outline specific actions but has signaled that addressing the crisis will be a priority in its diplomatic efforts