US Acknowledges Violence in Nigeria Not Driven By Religion Alone, Says 1.3m Displaced in Middle Belt

US Acknowledges Violence in Nigeria Not Driven By Religion Alone, Says 1.3m Displaced in Middle Belt

USCIRF (May 2026) documents 1.3 million displaced in Nigeria's Middle Belt by Fulani militant attacks, driven by overlapping religious, economic, and criminal factors—not religion alone. Both Christian and Muslim communities are targeted; simplistic religious framing weakens US-Nigeria security diplomacy and effective policy response.