US: Boko Haram, other terrorist groups designated "entities of particular concern"

 U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, have announced that Boko Haram, aw well as al-Nusra, al-Qaeda, Houthis, ISIS  and others have been designated entity "of particular concern" in a statement

"On November 28, 2018, I designated Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, as Countries of Particular Concern under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 for having engaged in or tolerated ‘systematic, ongoing, (and) egregious violations of religious freedom.

"I also placed Comoros, Russia, and Uzbekistan on a Special Watch List for governments that have engaged in or tolerated ‘severe violations of religious freedom.

"Finally, I designated al-Nusra Front, al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula, al-Qa'ida, al-Shabab, Boko Haram, the Houthis, ISIS, ISIS-Khorasan, and the Taliban as Entities of Particular Concern," Pompeo said.

Pompeo decried the continued harassment, arrests, or even killing of individuals for their beliefs, adding that safeguarding religious freedom is vital to ensuring peace, stability, and prosperity.

He said: "The United States will not stand by as spectators in the face of such oppression.

"Protecting and promoting international religious freedom is a top foreign policy priority of the Trump Administration.

"In July, I hosted the first-ever Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, which brought together some 85 like-minded governments and more than 400 civil society organisations to harness global attention and motivate forceful action to advance respect for the human right of religious freedom".

The US top diplomats noted that the aim for the designations was to "improve the lives of individuals and the broader success of their societies."

He urged leaders of the countries listed to work towards improving their respect respect for religious freedom and assured of the US commitments to working with governments and all relevant bodies to advance religious freedom globally.



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