United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, has described the ongoing killings of Christians in Nigeria as “a genocide wearing the mask of chaos,” elevating global attention on the country’s worsening religious violence.
Waltz made the remarks on Tuesday during an event hosted by the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, according to Fox News. He said the pattern of attacks shows “a body of evidence” indicating disproportionate suffering among Christian communities.
“Families are torn apart, clergy are repeatedly assassinated, and entire congregations wiped out,” he said. “Folks, we have an entire faith that is being erased — one bullet at a time, one torched Bible at a time.”
The event also featured American rapper Nicki Minaj, who said she felt compelled to speak out against the targeting of people based on their beliefs.
“In Nigeria, Christians are being targeted, driven from their homes and killed. Churches have been burned, families torn apart, and entire communities now live in constant fear simply because of how they pray,” she said.
The UN engagement, facilitated by political strategist Alex Bruesewitz, marked one of the most high-profile global spotlights on religious killings in Nigeria, a crisis that has drawn increasing scrutiny from international governments and rights groups.
Earlier reports noted that Waltz and Minaj were scheduled to headline the event amid rising allegations of widespread persecution and targeted attacks on Christians in Africa’s most populous nation.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump had previously designated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern,” warning of possible military action over what he described as the government’s failure to protect religious minorities.
The Nigerian government has repeatedly denied accusations of religious persecution, insisting that violence in the country is driven by criminality rather than religious motives.
