Last updated on September 11th, 2021 at 03:09 pm
The United States on Friday lifted Sudan from a blacklist for religious freedom violations, even as it issued warnings to Nigeria, Cuba and Nicaragua.
Sudan was the only nation removed from the State Department’s annual list of “countries of particular concern,” which are subject to sanctions if they do not better protect religious liberty.
Civilian economist Abdalla Hamdok became Sudan’s prime minister in September, pledging national reconciliation after decades of military rule and conflict.
But Hamdok’s government is still waiting for a bigger prize from the United States, removal from a list of state sponsors of terrorism, a designation that has severely impeded investment.
Eritrea remains on list
Nine countries remained on the blacklist including Pakistan, which was designated in 2018 after years of US hesitation over concerns on the treatment of minorities including through abuse of a blasphemy law, which can carry the death penalty.
Also on the list was China, which according to rights groups and US officials, has incarcerated at least one million Uighurs and other Muslims, and US ally Saudi Arabia, which imposes the rigid Wahabi school of Islam.
The other countries on the list were Eritrea, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
“No country, entity or individual should be able to persecute people of faith without accountability,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement.
“We have acted, and we will continue to do so,” he said, calling religious freedom a priority for President Donald Trump’s administration.
Nigeria, Comoros warned
The State Department added Cuba, Nicaragua and Nigeria to a watchlist of countries that could face a full designation if they do not improve their records.
In Nigeria, the State Department said in its latest report on religious freedom that minorities have reported discrimination including limits on free expression and in obtaining government employment.
The State Department pointed to the lack of accountability in violent crackdowns on the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, a pro-Iran Shiite group, and the arrest of a Christian man for attempting to covert a Muslim girl.
The State Department said that religious groups faced restrictions and harassment in both Cuba and Nicaragua, leftist-led nations that have come under growing pressure from Trump.
Russia and Comoros remained on the watchlist. Sudan as well as Uzbekistan, which was removed from the blacklist in 2018, were also on the watchlist.
The latest designations notably did not target India despite mounting concern from US lawmakers over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist agenda, including a citizenship law that has prompted widespread protests over charges it marginalizes Muslims.
AFP
Senegal's ruling Pastef party has won a resounding victory in the legislative elections, taking130 of the 165 seats in parliament,…
Gaza’s hunger crisis is not only statistic, but a set of narratives such as Yasmin Eid, amother of six, who…
The government of Kenya announced that it is looking into the suspected kidnapping ofKizza Besigye, a well-known opposition politician from…
A team of 80 security agents tasked with protecting the electricity grid was ambushed onMonday in Shiroro, Niger State, by…
Cryptocurrency becomes the new thing in Africa. People shift for stable alternatives aftertheir unstable local currencies. Many people believe Donald…
UAE has also distributed 30,000 food baskets to Sudanese refugees in Kiryandongo refugeecamp Uganda to benefit nearly 100,000 affected people.Aid…
This website uses cookies.