Trump Warns of Further US Military Strikes in Nigeria Over Killings
United States President Donald Trump has warned that Washington D.C could carry out further military strikes in Nigeria if violence against Christians continues, marking an escalation in the Trump-Nigeria military strikes narrative that has attracted global attention.
The warning came amid controversies surrounding a recent air strike conducted in northwest Nigeria at the end of December.
Trump made the comments in an interview with The New York Times published on Thursday while responding to questions about the US military strike carried out in Nigeria on Christmas Day.
The president said the first attack was intended as a one-off but hinted that further action would not be limited to a single operation if the killing of Christians persists. “I’d love to make it a one-time strike. But if they continue to kill Christians, it will be a many-time strike,” Trump said.
The US military earlier confirmed that it conducted air strikes against Daesh-linked militants in northwest Nigeria, describing the operation as one carried out at the request of the Nigerian government. Nigeria’s authorities, however, said the strike was a joint operation and rejected any religious framing of the action, stressing that it targeted terrorists and “had nothing to do with a particular religion.”
During the interview, Trump was also asked about reports suggesting extremist groups in Nigeria kill both Muslims and Christians. “I think that Muslims are being killed also in Nigeria. But it’s mostly Christians,” he said, emphasizing his belief about the nature of the violence in the country.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation with more than 230 million people, is almost evenly split between Christians who dominate the south and Muslims who largely live in the north. The Nigerian government has consistently denied allegations that Christians are being subjected to systematic persecution, pointing out that victims of insurgent violence include both Christians and Muslims.
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, recently stressed that the military action was a collaborative effort between Nigeria and the United States. “It is an ongoing thing,” Tuggar said during an appearance on Channels Television when asked whether further strikes were expected. “It must be made clear that it is a joint operation, and it is not targeting any religion.”
The Trump-Nigeria military strikes warning has continued to spark debate both within Nigeria and internationally as analysts closely watch how future cooperation between the two countries may evolve if violence persists.
Join Our Social Media Channels:
