• President Trump, Appoint a U.S. Special Envoy

    For Nigeria and the Lake Chad Region - CLOSED for SIGNERS

  • Hon. Donald J. Trump
    The White House
    1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
    Washington, D.C. 20500

    Dear Mr. President:

    As you have rightly made the protection of religious freedom a priority for your administration, we write to urge you to act immediately to prevent the further escalation of one of the most ominous threats to this fundamental liberty – the genocidal assault on Christians in Nigeria and the Lake Chad region. You and your predecessors have appointed special envoys to address critical problems in the past. We call upon you to do so in this case in the hope of staving off a currently unfolding disaster for that region, for Africa and for the world.

    It has been well-documented that Christians and other minorities in Nigeria and neighboring countries have been subjected to growing, often murderous violence for years – including during the just-concluded Christmas season. (Attached is a summary of the carnage that has been inflicted in Nigeria in just the past few weeks.) The mounting genocide in Nigeria and the Lake Chad region is being perpetrated by groups like Boko Haram, the Islamic State West African Province and Fulani militants. The government of Nigeria has done little to stop the violence and bloodletting.

    The implications of this crisis extend far beyond Nigeria. Its potential implosion may result in a gargantuan bloodbath and send millions of refugees to nations near-and-far unprepared to support them. In a December 20, 2019 article, acclaimed international religious freedom advocate Bernard-Henri Levy warned:

    I have a terrible feeling of being carried back to Rwanda in the 1990s, to Darfur and South Sudan in the 2000s. Will the West let history repeat itself in Nigeria? Will we wait, as usual, until the disaster is done before taking notice? Will we stand by as international Islamic extremism opens a new front across this vast land, where the children of Abraham have coexisted for so long?

    We urge you to impress upon President Buhari and his government how important this is to the United States and other nations.

    We consider the stakes in this matter, both for our own country and for our vital interests around the world, to be sufficiently great that you should appoint a prominent and highly respected champion of religious freedom as your Special Envoy to bring a redoubled effort to monitoring the situation on the ground in Nigeria and the Lake Chad region and, even more important, to forge and execute an appropriate U.S. strategy for ameliorating it.

    Sincerely,

    1) Frank Wolf, Member of Congress 1981-2014, retired
    2) Stephen Enada, President, International Committee on Nigeria
    3) Dr. Sayo Ajiboye, President, Redeemer Bible College, RCCG
    4) Frank J. Gaffney, President and CEO, Save the Persecuted Christians
    5) Dede Laugesen, Executive Director, Save the Persecuted Christians
    6) Kevin Jessip, Chairman, Save the Persecuted Christians
    7) Archbishop and Primate, Foley Beach, Anglican Church in North America
    8) Dr. Gloria Puldu, Director, Leah Foundation
    9) Travis Weber, Vice President for Policy and Government Affairs, Director of the Center for Religious Liberty, Family Research Council
    10) Faith McDonnell, Director, International Religious Liberty Program, Institute on Religion & Democracy
    11) Jorge Parrott, President, Christ's Mandate for Missions
    12) Charmaine Hedding, President, Shai Fund
    13) Juliana Taimoorazy, President, Iraqi Christian Relief Council
    14) Rev. Dr. Art Lindsley, Vice-President, Theological Initiatives, Institute for Faith, Work & Economics
    15) Terwase Orbunde, National Coordinator, Prayerforced Interventions Initiative
    16) Dr. Agorom Dike, President, Caribbean and African Faithbased Leadership Conference
    17) Rev. Prof Bauta Motty, ECWA SEMINAR, JOS
    18) Omer Kanat, Executive Director, Uyghur Human Rights Project
    19) Roxann Moss, Director of Administration, Christians in Crisis
    20) Scott Morgan, Red Eagle Enterprises
    21) Dr. Nguyen Dinh Thang, CEO & President, Boat People SOS - Religious Freedom Project
    22) Helen Ngo, President, Committee for Religious Freedom in Vietnam
    23) Dr. Quoc-Hung Tran, Director, Office of External Affairs, Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam
    24) Emmanuel Ogebe, Managing Partner, US Nigeria Law Group
    25) Valle, President, CAP Liberte de Conscience
    26) Hanh Thai-Tang, Vice Exterior Affair, Junior Sacerdotal Council of Caodai
    27) Timothy Hall, Senior Fellow, Religious Freedom Institute
    28) Dr. Fabong Jemchang Yidam, Plateau Youth Council
    29) Dr. S. Bryan Hickox, President & CEO, Bryan Hickox Pictures, Inc
    30) Elizabeth Yore, esq., YoreChildren
    31) Daniel John Emig, Consultant, Frontier Partners International
    32) Suzanne Scholte, President, Defense Forum Foundation
    33) Rudolph Atallah, CEO, White Mountain Research, Inc.
    34) Teri Moy, Co-Founder, The Blessings Project
    35) Dr. Manasseh Allen, Impact Trust International
    36) Prof. Charles Adeyinka Adisa, Abia State University
    37) Abdallah Balkie, International Organization for Peace and Social Justice
    38) Toni Nadi, Secretary-General, Lower Niger Congress
    39) Hon. (Arc.) Eniye Mason Braide, Africa Mandate
    40) Gyang Zi, esq., National Legal Advisor, Berom Educational and Cultural Organization (BECO)
    41) Rev. Polycarp Gbaja, Stride Leadership Foundation
    42) Sharon Jones, CEO, The Good Friday National Holiday Campaign
    43) Engr. Samuel Agbai, Word Fire and Refiners Assembly
    44) Dr. Pogu Bitrus, President, Middle Belt Forum
    45) Uchenna Ugah, Scotiabank
    46) Joseph Ndirang, Evangelist, Kingdom Life Christian Mission International
    47) Dr. Barr Innocent Ekwu, President, Association of Gospel Ministers of Nigeria, Inc
    48) Rev. Antonio Aquino, Global President, The Interfaith Dialogue Table
    49) Francis Igboke, Medical
    50) Lawrence Chijoke Caleb-Uttah, CEO, Boaneges Project Resources Nig., Ltd
    51) Engr. Daniel Kadzai, National Youth President, Congress of Northern Nigeria Christians
    52) George Parker, Executive Director, Revealing Light Ministries
    53) Cyril Obasiu, Public Servant
    54) Prophet Israel C. Nzeadi, GO, Word and Praise Miracle Ministry
    55) Tur Amishe Gideon, President, Christian Youth Peace and Reconciliation Movement
    56) Dr. Jin Shin, President, Institute for Peace Affairs & Co-Chair, International Alliance of Religious Freedom for North Korea
    57) Linda Harvey, President, Mission America
    58) Frank Seignious, President & Founder, Doulos Disciples - World Wide
    59) Samuel Gyang Dusu, Legal Practitioner, Samuel Dusus & Co.
    60) Chief Akachukwu Ubesie, Akachukwu Power Nig. Limited
    61) Yusuf Benedict Garba, Lecturer, Adamawa State Polytechnic, Yola
    62) Michael Ricky Hendricks, Every Nation Church South Africa
    63) Valle, President, CAP Liberte de Conscience
    64) Dr. Sharon Kroner, CEO, Freedom of Religion - United Solutions (FOR-US)
    65) Eunice Onwuamaegbu, Oversea Fellowship of Nigeria Christians
    66) Ellen Grigsby, Director of Institutional Partnerships, Open Doors USA
    67) David Pool, Pastor, Grace Church
    68) Joshua Menang, Rose Hospital
    69) Caroline Adebayo, Oversea Fellowship of Nigerian Christians
    70) Patrick R Carberry, Founder, Joshuacord
    71) Betide Saltzberg, A Mindful Approach
    72) Gideon Simon Ghajiga, World Merchandise Services Limited
    73) Lindsay Vessey, Director of Development & Advocacy, Coptic Solidarity
    74) Dr. Ayuba Lawan, Langley House Trust
    75) Michael L. Parks, CEO, Frontier Partners International
    76) Catherine Williams, New Heights Christian Church
    77) Matthew Maduwuba Mbanaja, Bilie Human Rights Initiative
    78) Peggy Littleton, Director of Western Region, ReadyOp
    79) Barbara Bender, Church of California
    80) Theodore Ezeobi, Knowledge Education Empowerment for All Foundation
    81) Wisdom Edmond Kwati, President, Wisdom Kwati Foundation
    82) Rev. Douglas Betts, Big Squeeze Entertainment Corp.
    83) Christopher French, Minister, The Hub
    84) Jenny Noyes, Executive Director, New Wineskins Missionary Network
    85) Patricia W. Streeter, Co-director, Anglican Persecuted Church Network
    86) Olubunmi Jinadu, Founder, Licensed 2 Heal
    87) Stefania Della Santa, Missionary, Associazione Missionaria L'ONDA
    88) Dr. Frances Holden, CMM Theology Fort Mill, SC
    89) Rev. Mark Edwards, President, Make Ministries
    90) Olayinka Fagbuaro, CEO, Costridot International, Ltd
    91) Lorri Dresbach, Founder, 3D Inspiration Foundation
    92) Terri Marrow, Carenet
    93) Daniel Oluwasegun Olubi, Pastor, Christ Empowerment
    94) Jan-Willem Meijer, Foundation JustGo4It
    95) Satoshi Nishihata, Washington Bureau Chief, Happy Science USA Washington Bureau
    96) Oluwatoyin Akinbola, Masterpiece Production, Ltd
    97) Okechukwu Ifeanyi Okonkwo, CEO, Iktjano & Cedarshill Ventures
    98) Adebayo Idowu, Elder, Christ Apostolic Church
    99) Rev. Ruth Acquaroli, The Bridge
    100) Pastor Osarhiaekhimen Chinedu Amarachi, God's Manifest Mission Abuja
    101) Dr. Felix Oyari, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital Gwagwalada ABUJA
    102) Ben Irabor, Lead Pastor, Citadel of Grace Christian Center
    103) Yusufu Adamu Mamza, Barrister, Liberty Harbingers Network
    104) Mark Abers, Church Servant International, Inc.
    105) Livingstone Chieke, Managing Partner, Cyndastone Synergies Ltd
    106) Folaranmi Nathaniel Olatunji, Assistant Pastor, The Father's Church Abuja
    107) Kehinde Fayanju, Afenifere Renewal Group
    108) Dr. Pat Habtemichael, Founder, Believers Dominion Ministries

    INDIVIDUALS:
    1) Mr. Richard Yakubu Bokko
    2) Mr. Migi Zira
    3) Sir James Burke
    4) Mrs. Ann Dieterich
    5) Ms. Marianne Strenger
    6) Mr. Dennis Hallisey
    7) Mr. Mikkie du Toit
    8) Mr. John Bynum
    9) Ms. Jamie Tinkle
    10) Ms. Carol A. Knapp
    11) Mrs. Leasha McCoy
    12) Prof. Emeritus John Palmer
    13) Mr. Robert Winn
    14) Ms. Barbee Eckenrode
    15) Ms. Pamela E Edwards
    16) Mrs. Conni Leonessa
    17) Mrs. Cris Bull
    18) Mrs. Pauline Wbh
    19) Dr. Olasunkanmi Othniel Adebayo
    20) Ms. Mellany McKenzie
    21) Ms. Elaine Papp
    22) Ms. Cindy Capps
    23) Ms. Lisa Ritchie
    24) Ms. Becky Strong
    25) Ms. Janeen Jewett
    26) Mr. P. Miland
    27) Ms. Leslie C. Holmex
    28) Ms. Patricia W. Streeter
    29) Mrs. Ann Dieterich
    30) Mr. Tolu Jinadu
    31) Ms. Maria Ramirez
    32) Mr. Miguel Ramirez
    33) Ms. Catharine Trauernicht

  • This letter has closed for signers, Jan. 27, 2020.

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