United States President Donald Trump has warned that the US could carry out additional military strikes in Nigeria if attacks on Christians persist, even as the Nigerian government maintains that no religious group is being specifically targeted.
Trump made the remarks in an interview with The New York Times, published online on Thursday, in the wake of Washington’s Christmas Day airstrike in northwest Nigeria.
The US Africa Command (AFRICOM) had stated that the operation targeted Islamic State militants and was conducted in coordination with Nigerian authorities. At the time, Nigeria described the strike as a “joint operation against terrorists,” emphasizing that it had “nothing to do with a particular religion.”
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, confirmed that the strikes were conducted with Nigeria’s full cooperation, approval, and intelligence support. He stressed that the operations neither violated the country’s sovereignty nor singled out any religious group.
Responding to the question of whether Muslims were also victims of attacks, Trump acknowledged that Muslims are being killed but insisted, “it’s mostly Christians.”
Meanwhile, US lawmaker Riley Moore, who disclosed that the US military launched 12 Tomahawk missiles against ISIS targets in Nigeria, indicated that the strikes mark the beginning of a broader military effort, with further operations planned in collaboration with Nigerian authorities.
Trump had previously warned in October that Christianity in Nigeria faces an “existential threat,” threatening military intervention if the government failed to protect Christian communities. The Nigerian government, however, insists that its security challenges affect both Christians and Muslims alike.
Following strategic talks between the US and Nigeria, led by National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, US War Secretary Pete Hegseth said the American military is “working aggressively with Nigeria to end the persecution of Christians by jihadist terrorists.”
(Reuters)
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