Apr 27, 2023

USCIRF Releases New Report on Abuses against Fulani Muslim Civilians

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report on abuses against Fulani Muslim civilians and their implications for religious freedom in west and central Africa.

Abuses against Fulani Muslim Civilians – Across west and central Africa, escalating violence and abuses against Fulani Muslim civilians are negatively impacting religious freedom for many communities. Governments and state-backed forces in Mali, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Central African Republic (CAR), Benin, and Togo have targeted Fulani Muslim civilians with violence and human rights abuses based on their ethnoreligious identity or assumptions regarding their religious beliefs. Some governments have strategically exploited Muslim sites and holidays to target and commit abuses against Fulani Muslims. This issue update documents common abuses against Fulani Muslim civilians and their implications for religious freedom in west and central Africa.

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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on threats to religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected].