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.