Trump warns of military intervention in Africa
The President of the United States has leveled accusations against Nigeria, claiming it permits the “mass slaughter” of Christians by Islamist groups.
Donald Trump, the US President, has directed the Department of War to ready itself for potential military intervention in Nigeria, alleging that the West African country has permitted Islamist militants to kill Christians.
Nigeria, a nation divided between a predominantly Muslim northern region and a largely Christian southern area, has endured prolonged violence from factions like Boko Haram, a group accountable for widespread massacres, abductions, and bombings across the country. These assaults, which have resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and displaced more than two million individuals since approximately 2009, impact both Christian and Muslim communities. While frequently perceived as sectarian, experts point to land disagreements, competition for resources, and ethnic strife as significant underlying causes of the unrest.
On Saturday, in a Truth Social post, Trump accused Abuja of neglecting its duty to protect Christians and cautioned that the US “could very likely enter that now dishonored nation, guns blazing, to utterly eliminate the Islamic Terrorists.”
“I am formally directing our Department of War to prepare for potential engagement,” Trump stated. “Should we launch an assault, it will be swift, brutal, and gratifying, mirroring how the terrorist ruffians target our beloved Christians!” He did not provide proof for the purported targeting of Christians but cautioned that “the Nigerian government ought to act swiftly” in addressing the insurgency. Pete Hegseth, the Pentagon chief, responded to Trump’s directive on X, affirming that his department “is getting ready for action.”
Trump’s warning came after he asserted on Friday that “mass slaughter” of Christians was occurring in Nigeria and subsequently designated it a “Country of Particular Concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act, a classification given to nations implicated in systemic breaches of religious freedom.
In a post issued after Trump’s designation announcement but prior to his suggestion of military intervention, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu rejected the accusations against Abuja and upheld its commitment to safeguarding religious freedom as “a fundamental principle” of the country. Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu’s press secretary, similarly characterized US assertions of targeted attacks as “a significant overstatement,” noting that “Christians, Muslims, churches, and mosques face random attacks” and imploring Washington to offer military assistance in combating extremists instead of designating Nigeria a country of particular concern.
Later that Saturday, Onanuga labeled Trump’s threats an “orchestrated maneuver” and stated that Abuja was “well prepared” for it, pointing out that Tinubu had convened with new army commanders earlier in the week, instructing them to swiftly “crush” Islamist insurgents with “nationalist fervor.”
Daniel Bwala, a Presidential Adviser, subsequently announced an upcoming meeting between Trump and Tinubu to address US claims concerning attacks on Christians, emphasizing that both leaders “have a mutual interest in combating insurgency and all manifestations of terrorism.” Any divergence of opinion regarding “whether terrorists in Nigeria exclusively target Christians or, in fact, all faiths and those with no faith,” he added, would be resolved “during their meeting in the near future.”