US President Donald Trump has announced that he has asked the Department of Defense to begin preparations for possible military intervention in Nigeria if the government there "continues to allow the killing of Christians". In a post on the social network Truth Social, he wrote that the United States would immediately halt all aid and assistance to Nigeria, Africa's most populous country.
According to Reuters, Trump said that unless the Nigerian government intervenes, the US "may very well go into that now disgraceful 'guns-a-blazing' state to completely wipe out those Islamic terrorists who are committing horrible atrocities".
The statement comes shortly after Nigeria was again placed on the US list of countries of special concern for alleged violations of religious freedom. As the AP notes, Trump has previously described the situation in the country as an "existential threat to Christianity" and called for a "global fight against persecution of believers."
The Nigerian government, led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has denied the allegations. In an official statement, according to Al Jazeera, it said that the protection of citizens of all faiths is enshrined in the constitution and that labelling Nigeria a religiously intolerant country is "unfair and misleading". Abuja stresses that the army and police continue operations against extremist groups across the country.
According to BBC Africa, Nigeria has faced a long-standing complex security situation, from the Boko Haram insurgency and the ISWAP splinter faction in the northeast to violence between farmers and herders in the central states. Experts point out that both Christians and Muslims are victims, and that the real causes of the conflict range from climate change to the breakdown of state governance.
Analysts at the Brookings Institution warn that Trump's words could have serious geopolitical consequences. A halt in aid would jeopardise development and security programmes funded by the United States, and any unilateral military intervention without UN approval would violate international law. Meanwhile, Nigeria is a key US partner in the fight against terrorism in West Africa and a major oil producer.
Indeed, according to The Guardian, the Pentagon is now looking at what the legal and operational options would be if the president ordered the preparation of a "limited military operation." However, Defense Department sources point out that this is not yet a concrete plan, but a mandatory assessment of risks and options.
gnews.cz - GH
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