Addition of Nigeria to the list for the first time paves way for potential sanctions if there is no improvement on the record.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States designated Nigeria which is a US ally as a “Country of Particular Concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 for religious freedom, for engaging ”systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom.”

Pompeo tweeted “Today the U.S. designates Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, Nigeria, the DPRK, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan as countries of concern under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 for engaging systematic, ongoing, egregious religious freedom violations. The U.S. is unwavering in its commitment to religious freedom. No country or entity should be allowed to persecute people with impunity because of their beliefs. These annual designations show that when religious freedom is attacked, we will act”

The Office of the Special Counsel, an independent federal investigative agency, has started a probe into Pompeo’s speech to the Republican National Convention while on a taxpayer-funded trip to Jerusalem on August 25.

This investigation is the second investigation launched by the special counsel into potential Hatch Act violations by Pompeo, who has been accused of allegedly using State Department resources for personal or political gain.

Rep. Elliot Engel, chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and Rep. Nita Lowey, chairwoman of the House Committee on Appropriations, wrote in a joint statement on Tuesday.”Our offices have confirmed that the Office of Special Counsel has launched a probe into potential Hatch Act violations tied to Secretary Pompeo’s speech to the Republican National Convention. This information comes on the heels of reporting that OSC is also looking into Secretary Pompeo’s stated commitment to rush out more of Hillary Clinton’s emails by Election Day and as the Secretary has misused State Department resources on his speech tour of swing states. As we get closer to both this year’s election and his own inevitable return to electoral politics, Mike Pompeo has grown even more brazen in misusing the State Department and the taxpayer dollars that fund it as vehicles for the Administration’s, and his own, political ambitions”

The truce was brokered between the US, the Afghan Government and the Taliban and starts with a seven-day reduction in violence in Afghanistan.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted Friday morning “After decades of conflict, we have come to an understanding with the Taliban on a significant reduction in violence across Afghanistan. This is an important step on a long road to peace, and I call on all Afghans to seize this opportunity,”

If reduction in violence is successful,the US-Taliban agreement will be signed by February 29, and then the US will have to reduce the current level of troops from 13,000 to 8,600.