ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday mentioned he’s ordered the Pentagon to start planning for potential army motion in Nigeria as he stepped up his criticism that the federal government is failing to rein within the persecution of Christians within the West African nation.
“If the Nigerian Authorities continues to permit the killing of Christians, the usA. will instantly cease all help and help to Nigeria, and will very properly go into that now disgraced nation, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to utterly wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who’re committing these horrible atrocities,” Trump posted on social media. “I’m hereby instructing our Division of Battle to organize for doable motion. If we assault, it will likely be quick, vicious, and candy, similar to the terrorist thugs assault our CHERISHED Christians!”
The warning of doable army motion got here after Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu earlier on Saturday pushed again on Trump saying a day earlier that he was designating the West African nation “a rustic of specific concern” for allegedly failing to rein within the persecution of Christians.
In a social media assertion on Saturday, Tinubu mentioned that the characterization of Nigeria as a religiously illiberal nation doesn’t mirror the nationwide actuality.
“Non secular freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identification and shall all the time stay so,” Tinubu mentioned. “Nigeria opposes spiritual persecution and doesn’t encourage it. Nigeria is a rustic with constitutional ensures to guard residents of all faiths.”
Trump on Friday mentioned “Christianity is going through an existential menace in Nigeria” and “radical Islamists are liable for this mass slaughter.”
Trump’s remark got here weeks after U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz urged Congress to designate Africa’s most populous nation as a violator of non secular freedom with claims of “Christian mass homicide.”
Nigeria’s inhabitants of 220 million is cut up virtually equally between Christians and Muslims. The nation has lengthy confronted insecurity from numerous fronts together with the Boko Haram extremist group, which seeks to determine its radical interpretation of Islamic legislation and has additionally focused Muslims it deems not Muslim sufficient.
Assaults in Nigeria have various motives. There are religiously motivated ones concentrating on each Christians and Muslims, clashes between farmers and herders over dwindling sources, communal rivalries, secessionist teams and ethnic clashes.
Whereas Christians are amongst these focused, analysts say the vast majority of victims of armed teams are Muslims in Nigeria’s Muslim-majority north, the place most assaults happen.
Kimiebi Ebienfa, a spokesperson for the Ministry of International Affairs, reiterated the dedication of Nigeria to guard residents of all religions.
“The Federal Authorities of Nigeria will proceed to defend all residents, no matter race, creed, or faith,” Ebienfa mentioned in a press release on Saturday. “Like America, Nigeria has no choice however to rejoice the variety that’s our best energy.”
Nigeria was positioned on the nation of specific concern record by the U.S. for the primary time in 2020 over what the State Division referred to as “systematic violations of non secular freedom.” The designation, which didn’t single out assaults on Christians, was lifted in 2023 in what observers noticed as a means to enhance ties between the nations forward of then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s go to.
Madhani reported from West Palm Seashore, Fla.
